When lots of people (that i'm not with) are coming, I find when holding the door it helps to make the slip inside as soon as possible, and hold it open from the inside until the next person grabs the door. Then continue on.

I held too many doors too long until I perfected this technique.

I'm told it's common among door holders.

I've had to apologize many a time because I didn't realize someone was entering a door behind me.

Are these people in your group, though?

I meant that as a general comment, not necessarily in terms of people I was with. The level of rudeness does increase for people you are with.

I have one friend who insists on doing the car door opening, and the cigarette lighting, etc. With him it's partially born of being raised that way, and partially a matter of creating the opportunity to snark at me about my lack of social graces because I'm almost always wrong-footed by it. Eh, it's fun.

What the hell does "auto-genuine" mean?

Something I'm finding annoying currently is guys who stand back to let you out of the elevator first. (Talk about your first-world problems.) But my office is on the top floor of the building, so when I'm going down, I'm always in the back. Then we get to the ground floor, and no one frigging moves. Just get out already. Why make me push past several people to get out first - and that supposedly in the name of politeness?

I don't object to guys who just stand back and give you an "after you." I don't expect or require it either. But when your rigid adherence to social niceties actually has the effect of making me behave rudely or feel uncomfortable, hasn't the point sort of been lost?

I'm at the post office every day, and I notice that I usually hold the door for anyone behind me, once they have the door, I let go and continue on. If it's someone with a lot of packages, I let them go through first. Elderly people always go first.

I'm also large with the ma'am and sir if it's an older relative or a work superior.

Brenda, I go through a similar thing in my office, wrt elevator etiquite. Most of the men in our building do the stand back and let the women go first, so it is more odd when a man will rush to be the first out. I never assume, and have had that uncomfortable - Oh, I get to go first? - thing happen way too many times.

Not quite sure where to post this (let alone what to make of it), but here seems as good a place as any.

According to this week's Popbitch:

Buffy the Vampire Slayer's Xander, Nick Brendon, is seeking treatment for alcoholism. Maybe this explains his huge weight gain in later seasons.

lexine and brenda, they're just checking out your asses.

According to this week's Popbitch:

Hi Fiona. The webmistress of Nick's official site (Monique, who sometimes posts here) confirmed the news about Nick. It is good to know he is getting help and being open about it, to boot.

Really Cindy?? Cool! (wrt to ass checkage).

Thanks, Cindy. I'm not in very many threads any more, I didn't know whether (and where) this had been mentioned.