Courtesy on the Street

On the street a man always walks on the side nearest the curb, whether he is with one woman or several. 

Before discussing the “technique” of how to behave when you are out in the world here are a few simple principles upon which right conduct in public places is founded. One should always be courteous and appreciative of courtesy. An unobtrusive manner and a gracious “Thank you” or “I am sorry”smooth off many rough edges.

On the street a man always walks on the side nearest the curb, whether he is with one woman or several. A man raises his hat whenever he meets a woman he knows, whether he stops to speak to her or merely passes. He also raises it when he is with another man who bows to a woman acquaintance, and when he is with a woman who speaks to someone she knows whether it happens to be an acquaintance of his own or not. He raises it when he has performed a courtesy for some woman whether or not he knows her, such as assisting her should she stumble on a step, or picking up something she has let fall... and he always lifts his hat when leaving a woman he has accompanied. 

When speaking to a woman of his own age a man usually replaces his hat immediately but with an older woman he waits until she suggests that he do so. A man never “takes” a woman's arm when walking on the street in town, though he may “offer” his arm if she is elderly or in need of assistance, or if there is a crowd.– From Etiquette: The Well Bred Way of Doing Things, By Edna Borden Lowe, 1939

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