# Politeness on double doors

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/politeness-on-double-doors/268953>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [October 13, 2004, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/politeness-on-double-doors/268953 "2004-10-13T03:39:39Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\
**Post date:** [October 13, 2004, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/politeness-on-double-doors/268953/1 "2004-10-13T03:39:39Z")

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Another quick poll.

On double doors,(store or business doors where there is one set, followed by another set about 5 feet deeper to create an anti-outside-temperature air lock) when someone in front opens and props boths sets of doors for you to grab do you say thanks twice? It always seems wierd to me to say thanks to the same person twice in 3 seconds for the same act. Like it’s an instinct, rather than a meant sentiment. Usually I say “thank you” on the first one, then mumble [sub]'anks[/sub] on the second.

Anybody else feel the same way?

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**Author:** ![Keapon\_Laffin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e274bd/32.png) [@Keapon\_Laffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keapon_Laffin)\
**Post date:** [October 13, 2004, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/politeness-on-double-doors/268953/2 "2004-10-13T03:57:25Z")

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Hmmm, I’ll say thanks the first time. And if they look back, I’ll probably smile for the second.

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**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\
**Post date:** [October 13, 2004, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/politeness-on-double-doors/268953/3 "2004-10-13T14:11:38Z")

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I almost always say thanks twice.

It doesn’t hurt me, and it usually gets a chuckle out of both of us. So, no harm done.

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**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\
**Post date:** [October 13, 2004, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/politeness-on-double-doors/268953/4 "2004-10-13T15:52:57Z")

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I’ll usually say “thanks” the first time, and then just smile and nod the second time. If the person doing the door-holding seems the really genial type, I might say “thanks” the first time, and then “thank you again!” the second time, smiling in such a way as to indicate that we both understand the awkwardness of the situation.

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**Author:** ![Draelin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce73a5/32.png) [@Draelin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Draelin)\
**Post date:** [October 13, 2004, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/politeness-on-double-doors/268953/5 "2004-10-13T16:42:00Z")

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I may not actually _say_ “thanks” both times, but I always show some sign of appreciation. Often I’ll smile at the first door, and thank after the second. In my office, from the front door to the stairs, there are a total of four doors, two that require a pass key. I won’t say thank you for all four doors, but usually whoever I’m walking with is someone I work closely enough with for them to know I’m thankful.

If I open a door for someone and they _don’t_ show any sign of appreciation, I usually impugn their ancestry in my head for a minute or two.

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**Author:** ![cornflakes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@cornflakes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cornflakes)\
**Post date:** [October 13, 2004, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/politeness-on-double-doors/268953/6 "2004-10-13T18:58:53Z")

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I usually say thanks thanks the first time. If they go for the second door, then I usually keep a silly nodding smile going long enough that they know I’m thanking them for the second.

That said, I usually tag team the doors. If someone holds the first door, then I reach for the second. Theres a hallway where I work with several doors one after another (it reminds me of the closing credits to _Get Smart_.) My coworkers and I have this hallway worked out to an olympic level; we could take the gold in synchronized door holding.