As a matter of common courtesy, I always try to hold the a door open for the person behind me in a public place.
However, what do you do if, behind you, there’s a long stream of people in wheelkchairs, a large group of elderly people, or some similar group that can’t otherwise hold the door open? Do you stand there like a doorman for five minutes? Is there a point where you just let the door go, slam into someone, and head off on your merry way?
So long as I’m not running late, I’ll happily hold the door open for whoever will benefit from it.
My only door holding quibble is people that stand there holding the door for me when I’m not even close to the door, creating a time vacuum where seconds feel like hours and all I can see is this impatient person watching my every move whilst I try to nonchalently quick-walk my way towards the door or, worst case scenario, break into a walk-jog whilst retaining an air of ‘I was going to jog anyway’ dignity.
I would hold the door open and smile and nod at each one. It would make all of us feel good, which is certainly worth five minutes of my day.
Bodycheck the first one behind you sending the rest of them down in domino like fashion.
Ha! Yes, this is so true. And awful.
To the scenario in the OP: Yes, you get to play doorman for a few minutes. I don’t think this is a big deal unless you are bleeding out from an artery at the time.
I would end up holding the door unless I was in a rush. Then I would glance at my watch, apologize and run off.
Yes, as a healthy fully-abled person, I’m more than happy to hold the door for any reasonable number of persons who might need it.
Gaah - I thought I was the only person who hated this! Yes, this is the most horrible thing in the world. My personal policy is that I’ll only hold the door for an able person if it would not have already fully closed by the time they got there.
This can sort of be an issue if a large crowd is gathering for a concert or an event that’s just opened or similar. I find the next person in line who is capable of at least holding the door for themselves, kind of make eye contact with them in a way that conveys, ‘I’m leaving when you get here’ and pass the door off to them to hold for a bit.
I can’t imagine the line of elderly snaking around the block with no end in sight, as if they are waiting for a rock concert or Miley Cyrus tickets…who are we imagining these people are in line for?
I’d hold the door even if it meant I’d be the last to get in to see the Lawrence Welk Reunion Tour.
Unless I were in such a rush that I simply could not be late, I’d hold the door. It’s what men do.
Same here. 
Me too. And smile and nod and wink at the old ladies and all that crap. Because you never know, one might be eccentric and wealthy and reward me by making me heir to his industrial empire. And then I could afford a new sword and a team of PIs to help me find that six-fingered sonofabitch!
Do you have to put it this way? That implies that those that don’t hold a door are less than men and at the same time it is very chauvinistic if you think about it.
Why can’t we just say something like, “It is a nice thing to do.” or “It is the polite thing to do?”
I call it Busy Breakfast Sunday Morning traffic, the kind where I hold the door open for someone with a stroller or some elderly folks coming in behind me, but there’s a continual in and outflow of kids and old folks and whatnot coming from both sides and it feels like you’ll be there forever. I let the door go as soon as I see another dude between the ages of 16 to 50 or so, because he knows the rules and he better catch that door.
killing long double post
I always do this 
I’m distracted pretty much in anything I do, and often I am half aware of someone behind me. So I open the door and stand to the side like gramma taught me.
Then I realize the guy behind me was 60 feet behind me, and he is a slow moving old guy with a cane. He has an ETA of 30-45 seconds. But I’ve turned and made eye contact. I can’t just jump through the door then like “Sorry old man not quick enough, you lost your chance”. So I have to hold it. And he uncomfortably tries to walk faster, but it’s not much of an option. So then I start miming some weak pretense of why I’m standing there holding the door for reasons than have nothing to do with him; fumbling through my pocket mumbling “Where the hell is my phone, it was here a minute ago” And then finally triumphantly producing my phone and looking through the menus, as though having the door open the whole time is a key part of the procedure, and occasionaling random studying of things both inside and outside of the door.
I have great respect for people who hold themselves to high standards. Skald is right, because by his standards, it’s what men do.
Also, it’s refreshing to be disagreeing on relative degrees of niceness. Imagine if this was the worst disgreement of your day?
Sometimes I have the irresistable urge to make West Wing allusions that no one else gets so I can hear the ghost of Jed Bartlet in my head. When I do that I eschew smileys as it would ruin the effect.
So will I have to wait while every old person ordered their food? I’ll hold the door, but I’m not waiting to order while frail confused people order ahead of me. I don’t hold doors for bus loads. It’s the one thing to ensure I don’t hold the door. Normally I will even walk back and open the door if I’m close and a person is having difficulties opening the door.
Good point. I hope that is my biggest disagreement of the day. Besides, it turns out not to even be a disagreement.
Sorry, I never watch the show, so I guess I whooshed myself. It just sounded so old fashion and judgmental to me that I reacted.
Jim