Q. My wife and I regularly attend the cinema. There
have been occasions when we see seats in the middle of the rows. The seats near the aisles are taken, necessitating us moving past people already seated to get to the vacant seats. On these occasions, is it more appropriate when moving past seated people to present one’s front side or one’s back side? Is the rule the same for men and women, or if someone is a bit more stout than others?
M. and K.M., Queensland, Australia A. The rule is the same for both men, women and the stout. Presenting your frontal aspect is undesirable — not only because of the brief simulation of coition, but also because of the extra intimacy occasioned by your breathing on the strangers as you thank them for making way for you. The correct procedure is to move erectly down the row with your back to those you are inconveniencing, but with your head at an angle of 90 degrees so you can acknowledge their courtesy as you pass along.
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