After you
Sir: The Duchess of Devonshire and Mr Allen are both right (Diary, 5 February, Letters, 19 February). It depends on the circumstances and perhaps on the class of restaurant. The man should lead unless there is a waiter leading, in which case the woman should go ahead.
There are two other exceptions to the general rule. First, the man should alight first from a bus to help the woman down. Second, men standing closer to the doors than women in a lift should leave first, as the importance of keeping the lift moving overrides the usual courtesy. Of this excep- tion in particular there is widespread igno- rance, so it is not unusual to find oneself being squashed against the side of a lift by a man who, eager to let a woman out from the back, believes he is being the perfect gentleman.
Ian Ashford-Thom
49 Bushwood Road, Kew Gardens, Richmond, Surrey
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