ETIQUETTE IN TRAMS.

Auckland Star, Volume LV, Issue 169, 18 July 1924, Page 5

ETIQUETTE IN TRAMS.

THE WOMEN'S FART. AND THE GROUCH OF A MALE. "Stay where you are!" ordered the man in the corner seat, ac the other made to rise and change places in the aisle with a woman who had entered the rapidly-filling tramcar. Not only did he command the other thus, but he held him by the sleeve, preventing his moving out. In the meantime another male had offered up his seat. ■ "Don't ever be a fool, and give up your seat —except to the very aged—the very aged," continued the corner-eeat man, bitterly. "But surely you don't seriously advocate that state of affairs —the age of chivalry w not dead, you know!" "Yes it is—with mc, at'any rate. If you had had my beastly experiences in trams, you'd say co too!" His companion remaining silent, the bitter one continued : "Have you ever given your seat to a lady—a woman, I should say —and stood by to see her sink into it with an 'It's my right!' sort of air—not even a 'Thank you,' or anything else. That makes mc boil! A man may have certain duties to perform, if for etiquette's sake alone (and etiquette seems to be what most people judge the others by), but, at the same time, certain of the other ccx seem to forget that they also have an obligation in the matter. That's my first point." "Dreadful!" murmured his companion. "Then take the others. Oh! these set mc going! It was after my last experience of this nature that I vowed to sit in my seat if every woman in Auckland was standing. A woman got into the ear. It was full. I stood up, and asked her to accept the seat I had procured after nearly being killed in the rush —and then, in front of the whole crowd she refused it, with a look and a tone like ice—and she remained standing for two sections. That's the second point, and — <—" "I remember," said his companion, taking up the tale, "standing up for a lady once, and a man glided into the seat— glided in like an eel, without a blush— if eels can blush. That makes you mad, eh ?" "Yes, and I remember, very vividly, the occasion on which I was sitting near the door of the car, when one of the fair sex entered. I immediately became one of the straphangers. The next thing I knew wae that 1 wus being put back on to the street as one of the 'too many on board' crowd. And the perso: , . for w'lom I was being martyred sat there placidly watching the performance as if it was arranged for her benefit—thrown in with the seat, as it were." "How you must have felt you stepped olf the car," said the other with enthusiasm. "Oh, I felt happy!" he replied, with a wild look, raising Ins voice. "I felt so happy that I could have flay " "Sh-h!" "Anyhow," he continued recklessly, "if the women don't know how to treat us, then I don't know how to treat them. That's how I feel, and, as I say, I'll never give any seat in any car to any woman, no matter who she is, and I'd hate to see you do it. 1 think that of all " The ear stopped. It was still very full. The door wae thrown open to admit a very pretty girl. Before one quite realised what had happened the man with the big grouch had bounded from his Beat, rai-sed his hat, and was saying as polishedly as possible: "Do take this seat!" And he simply beamed. But the pretty one, who had so moved this mountain of determination, just sunk into the vacant place, with never a word nor a wiile. And at that, we'd better leave the car.