Never trust a chivalrous man - it means he’s up to something

Article here. Excerpt:

'Recently, I witnessed a remarkable altercation on a London bus, when a man refused to give up his seat to a woman. She started screaming at him about his lack of respect, but he wouldn’t budge. Quite right, too. Why should he? Respect cannot be demanded, it has to be earned.

Some say that chivalry is dead in the workplace, but did it ever have a proper place there in the first place, I wonder. In this instance, I can only speak for myself. If you are a female journalist working on a daily newspaper and a male colleague opens the door and politely ushers you through first, it really means something.

It means that, overnight, workmen have removed an entire floor, exposing a 100ft drop to the basement three storeys below, where a poisoned spike trap has been set. ‘After you, my dear.’ ‘No, no, after you.’ But at least, as I said, we understand each other.

Actually, I see tiny but compelling acts of chivalry every day. A cup of coffee put on a busy colleague’s desk. A helping hand with a pram, a child, an awkward parcel, a difficult step. It is non-gender specific, because today we are all in it together, for better or worse.

Today, good manners, showing an everyday kindness to strangers and being polite to all is the petrol in the engine of civilisation. It is not the prerogative of men, it is up to everyone to make the effort. And, with that, I bid you good day, my lady. Bow, bow, scrape, scrape disappears into obsolete mists of time.'