DEAR ABBY: Common manners are going extinct quicker than the dinosaurs did. I was raised to open doors, stand up for women sitting down at the table, etc. Nowadays opening the door for most women feels like getting slapped in the face. There is no acknowledgment of any kind.
Has our society disintegrated that far? These days if I open the door for someone and she doesn't acknowledge the courtesy, I say, "Thank you!" loud enough for her to hear and watch the reaction. I'm waiting for someone to slap me one day. -- GOOD MANNERS IN TEXAS
DEAR GOOD MANNERS: I agree that when a courtesy is extended, it should be acknowledged. However, if it isn't, shouting at someone is rude and makes you appear more like a petulant boor rather than the genteel individual your parents raised you to be.
P.S. When a gentleman opens a door for me -- old-fashioned girl that I am -- I always thank him. Then I add, "You were raised right!" which is true, and we go our separate ways with a smile.