Do I? Do I Not??

Racing against time, I dropped K off at the building entrance and went to park my car. It was almost 9:00. Lugging my laptop case and a pretty heavy lunch bag, I made my way to the door shoulders hunched from the cold and the breeze. I struggled with the door and pushed it open and from the corner of my eye saw a balding gentleman walk slowly to the door. I was in a fix. How much distance is the norm to keep the door open? Seeing me hesitate, he waved to me and said “Please do not wait for me. I walk slow.”

Waving back, I closed the door behind me and heaved myself up the stairs. This whole concept of holding the doors open for people behind me baffles me. I can understand if someone is right behind you and you hold it for them so the door does not slam in their face. What I cannot understand though is the sight of people holding doors for me when I am a good 10 ft away. I end up jogging to the door and feeling mildly displeased at the fact that they make me run. Then there are times when I hold the door for someone more than 5 ft away and they breeze through the door without an acknowledgment and that infuriates me.

While there are no ‘right’ answers to the question of whether or not to hold the door, I find consolation in that this strange practice makes for some humorous moments like the time a chivalrous gentleman at work held the men’s restroom door open for me!

What is your take on this?

April 8, 2008 -- Kindness is a vanilla milkshake! (7)
April 7, 2008 -- I am like… pasta upma? (9)
April 3, 2008 -- Dance in the rain… (20)
April 1, 2008 -- Perceptions maketh the person (4)
March 28, 2008 -- An apple a day… (10)
March 24, 2008 -- The Story of Stuff - Massive Fodder for Thought! (11)
March 24, 2008 -- Waiting room musings (5)
March 21, 2008 -- Home sweet home (7)
March 20, 2008 -- A tag and some ramblings (3)
March 18, 2008 -- Unlearning a lifetime of lessons (14)

This entry was posted on Wednesday, April 9th, 2008 at 9:43 am and is filed under Feelings, Humor, Inner Voice, Life, Musings, Opinion, People, Routine, Tradition, US, contradictions, reflections. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

10 Responses to “Do I? Do I Not??”

Rekha on April 9th, 2008 at 10:27 am

Hmm.. interesting observation. Reading this makes me wonder too. But I guess i could do with the 5ft jog considering that is probably the only exercise I get and also makes me feel a little special when someone holds the door and waits for me, and certainly a thank you said to me for keeping the door open would make my day too. As far as the ones that don’t acknowledge it, well, at least we are used to it from India - nobody really bothers to say thank you or excuse me on the road. Lol@the chivalrous gentleman
Laksh on April 9th, 2008 at 1:03 pm

Laksh-

Thanks for visiting my blog. This is interesting to note, I guess, most people tend to acknowledge the gesture of opening doors here in US, but, it can be annoying at times when the person goes over board and opens the door for you when you are a lil too far away.
Bavani on April 9th, 2008 at 2:03 pm

Personally, I actually appreciate this aspect of living in the U.S. - where people actually have the time for each other - and where courtesy is a culture not a campaign.

In fast-paced Singapore, people actually let the door slam in your face or watch you struggling through the door with a baby in a stroller and actually squeeze past you! So coming from this country (where a courtesy campaign is required and where they recently held a contest to find the happiest person in Singapore), I must say, I’ll happily hold the door….for the 10ft
A-kay on April 9th, 2008 at 2:38 pm

Folks hold the door for me if I am a feet or two away from the door, not for 10 ft, except for the occasional gentleman As long as they don’t slam the door on my face, I am ok
Laksh on April 9th, 2008 at 8:14 pm

@Rekha: I totally enjoy people holding doors for me just not when I am 10 ft away
@Laksh: Thanks for stopping by. It does get annoying at times.
@Bavani: Guess I will have to see things in perspective
@Akay: Absolutely my point!
Apar on April 11th, 2008 at 7:17 am

Well, I do not accept the views of certain comments here about how people do not hold doors open in India. I have never had doors slammed on my face and have always had doors held open for me by strangers even.
About the general concept though…I really thought it was common courtesy and you really use your judgment about the distance TYs & Welcomes obviously goes alongwith the common courtesy of holding the door open!
Btw, I did have people not opening the door but minding their own way when I was in the US.
So, I guess it boils down to really who the other person is rather than where they are! Sorry if I have offended anyone with my take on this.
Roop on April 11th, 2008 at 12:08 pm

writing from egypt. people hold doors here so that they could charm you into buying stuff from ‘em. hee hee … okie, going back to me room. someone else in line for internet. :)) see y’all soon.
Laksh on April 13th, 2008 at 11:40 pm

@Apar: Its more as a general rule I was talking of. I see more people hold doors for me in the suburbs than in the city.
@Roop: LOL Shopping done?
Roop Rai on April 14th, 2008 at 10:21 am

bought some Egyptian Essence (sandalwood, lotus, and some other stuff that husband liked), an Egyptian cotton kurti thingie that I wore most of our desert trips (after washing of course), and some souvenir stuff for family et al. The country was so not cheap!!!! We are over a couple thousand pounds lighter in the wallet. hehe ah well, well worth it! back in UK, looking forward to the move to Houston.
Laksh on April 15th, 2008 at 9:57 am

@Roop: Sounds like an awesome trip. Will check your blog for updates. Catching up on my blog hops.