Dear Gentlemen, I have pondered the proper etiquette in this situation for years: When confronted with entering a revolving door in the presence of a lady, is it better to go first and do the manly pushing of the revolving door, or is it better to allow her to enter the door first?
Best,
Confused in Colorado
Dear Confused,
Don’t let the revolving door throw you. Treat it as any door. When approaching a door with a woman, be sure to arrive at the door a half step ahead of her. And with a gentle shove or pull to the door (again, swinging or revolving does not matter), invite her to go first. Manly pushing does not count for much. While women are delicate, they are not invalids. Every day, women make it through doors of all types more or less unscathed with minimal help. When it comes to gentlemanly deeds like opening a door or pulling out a chair for a lady, it is the gesture that matters far more than the effort you save her. That brings us to another central tenet of gentlemanly behavior towards women: In our modern world, a simple act of thoughtfulness will beat any practical help you can offer a woman eight times out of ten. Just ask any gentleman who has ever made the regrettable though understandable mistake of buying his girlfriend or wife a “practical” gift for her birthday.
Courteously,
The Gentlemen
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