Yep, manners are on the wain. Finding myself in a queue at the Post office not long ago, and standing by the door, I opened it for several people exiting and found that the only people who thanked me were the elderly.

Dear Antiseptic,

It's nice to hear that you open doors for women,
and believe in the 'niceties,' of 'good manners.'

However, as we all know - anyone can be superficially
taugh 'correct,' behaviour. However, that doesn't
necessarily make them a 'Lady,' or a 'Gentleman.'
That requires a certain 'instinct,' with which one
has to be born - of knowing what the 'right,' thing to
do really is - in any given situation. It's a rare
quality - that not many possess. It's what the Germans
refer to as 'ein Gefuhl.' (Tender feeling).

But good manners are still definitely better
than none at all!

Foxxy, I'd be happy with all the kids "pretending" to be Ladies and Gents, or just trying to.
If you separate out the Feminist take on things, it all really boils down to courteous behaviour, no bad thing.
That applies to everyone, irrespective of gender or age
I open doors for anyone, doesn't bother me not going first, and I always use the "manners" I was taught, even to those who don't appreciate it, that's irrelevant. It's a matter of personal pride.
Quite apart from which, there's no way I could've taught the kids if I wasn't using them at all times. They absorbed it with their mothers milk, so to speak.

Maximillion

'Manners and courtesy are no longer taught, not in school, and rarely at home, beyond please and thankyou.'

How can manners possibly be taught when moral relativism is in vogue? Who says that saying thank you is the right thing to do? Some people think they are doing you a favour by not killing you as you are an infidel in their sight. Again more fruit of Secularism.

"I open doors for anyone, doesn't bother me not going first, and I always use the "manners" I was taught, even to those who don't appreciate it, that's irrelevant. It's a matter of personal pride." - Maximillion.

Exactly - I don't see this as a feminist issue. Your gender has no bearing on whether you behave courteously or not.

Why should men only be singled out to behave courteously? It is for both sexes to treat each other with respect. And if that person fails to thank you for being courteous - so what? You have behaved well, you can stand tall.

Never expect gratitude, but when you do get it you know have met a fellow traveler.

Now, if we could just apply manners to driving...

Dear Max,

I don't see this as a feminist issue either.
I fully agree with you and Fractelle.

I think I was trying to differentiate between
some people being able to display
the 'superficiality,'
of good manners (outward appearances) but
not being capable of more than that. But
I didn't quite express it correctly. I mean
you can dress up a pig in a tux - but it will still
behave like a pig, when all's said and done. It will
eventually revert to its natural instincts.
( Like Gordon Ramsay,
for example). I made a mistake (according to my
mum) it's what the Germans refer to as "Fein Gefuhl."
(a fine inner instinct),
not "ein Gefuhl," as I had stated earlier. It's
something you 're either born with oir you're not.
From our posters on OLO - Fractelle is one who
definitely has 'it.' So does CJ. And of course
our dear examinator , just to name a few.

But, when all's said and done - of course -
I'll settle for good behaviour and civility over
bad - any day!

No argument from me on that score Max!