Whatever has happened to manners

[Alan H]

Lyle1.

I quite understand your sister-in-law's predicament, but I would like to think that a gentleman would offer his seat nonetheless and there is nothing to say that the offer HAS to be accepted-----and if the lady so wishes, the kind gesture is declined, graciously.

And THAT, my friend Jock Scot, is precisely why you are a charming OLD MAN. You sport the values and manners of your generation, as do I. There's nothing wrong with that until you start demanding that everybody hew to your ways, and bellowing about how anybody who does not, is crass and disgusting.

Were the young woman I described above standing in the bus and were you to offer her your seat, she would probably look at you funny and say No thanks, I'm fine, and continue on with reading her online/downloaded book about powerlifting/how to succeed in business/programming in Perl or whatever it was that she was doing. She would think you a lovely old Scoittish gentleman with your outmoded ways and tweed jacket, and she is not in the tiniest bit offended by the young lad who is sitting immediately next to her in the seat, wearing his Anaheim Ducks knit cap and his thrash metal t-shirt, with his ears stuffed up with the earbuds from his ipod.

YOU would be horrified. She is not.

Relax.