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I'm a trial lawyer and am in the courthouse every work day, and you are correct, the hat does not need to be removed until you enter the courtroom. We have a judge who had a series of complaints filed against him. One was that he had ordered a juror to remove his yarmulke. He responded that he did so because it was worn at a "rakish angle"! Just goes to show you that some people look good in anything.nulty said:I had to answer a summons for Jury Duty and wore a fedora to the courthouse. I was duly reminded to remove it when in the que signing up...I thought tho that I did not have to remove it until I actually entered the courtroom. Maybe that's what the old gal was trying to tell me.....
What is the alternative in a large city such as London, New York or Hong Kong?android said:First, I think it's a poor assumption to think that everyone is travelling by private car and that they would want to leave their hat in it.
I think your actions (leaving the hat & coat on while getting your mother settled), is fine. It sounds as if you were still helping her when the bosomy buffoon waded in with her snippy comment. As Scott pointed out, there are times when you should hold your tongue and suffer the fool, but I think this time, she was clearly over the line and further, thought she could get away with it.NonEntity said:So, do you think I did the right thing? Why or why not? (I’ll tell you later what my mother thought.)
I think your actions (leaving the hat & coat on while getting your mother settled), is fine. It sounds as if you were still helping her when the bosomy buffoon waded in with her snippy comment. As Scott pointed out, there are times when you should hold your tongue and suffer the fool, but I think this time, she was clearly over the line and further, thought she could get away with it.
I think I would've gone with pointing out, as you stated, "As you could plainly see, I was helping my elderly mother get her coat off and settled, as any gentleman would, before removing my own hat and coat. Where are your coat and hat racks?" When your server arrived, I would then ask them, in a quiet voice, to please send the manager over, assuring the server it was nothing he or she did, it was a completely different matter, and to not send the hostess who seated you. You want whoever as in charge that night.
And you could still send them a letter, perhaps cc:'ed to the local paper's restaurant editor. Give a call, find out who the head honcho is so it's properly addressed to him. Snotty little people like that who are there to serve you really fry me.
And...dying to hear what your mother thought was...