Do you doff yours?

[Matt Deckard]

Lately I've been getting a little too lackadaisical when it comes to removing my hat indoors. Used to be second nature though I just can't seem to take it off when at the counter of a hamburger joint. I still take it off when I go through the door, though if I'm at a mall I'll have it on my head unless I am browsing through one of the smaller stores or am talking to someone. I leave it on in train stations and airports too. Otherwise I remove my hats indoors.

We know there are written rules by various people all over the place regarding etiquette and we can review them again on the lounge. I am more curious to see what you do with your hat. where don't you take off your hat?

 

[Mr. Rover]

At school, I take off my hat when I go into a classroom or if i see a teacher/the principal. The rules were that you take off your hat in a public place, such as lobbies or elevators. Well, I consider the school hallways more of public place. I do tip my hat occassionally to the ladies.

 

[Andykev]

My LID rules

I never wear my hat at work. I have another one just for that purpose.

I never take my hat off at home inside the house.. when it is my day off and/or I am coming home from work. On my days off, I only wear my hat inside after I've gone outside and am coming home from some errand, a walk, or doing yard work.

I always wear my hat outside, just like my pants.

I always wear my hat inside a department store or a grocery.

I ALWAYS take my hat off inside a restaurant, except the burger take out or when you sit at the lunch counter.

I NEVER wear a hat inside someone elses house as it is a sign of disrespect. And I always take it off in Church.

Unfortunately, there are few places or establishments where you have a place to safely put your hat when you remove it.

OH, and I take it off in the movie theater too.

 

[fedoralover]

I take mine off in places of worship, in someones house and in my own, in movie theatres and only in very, very nice restaurants. Pizza joints, so, so eating establishments it stays on. There is no place to put it that would not place it at risk for theft or spillage. I always wear it outside the house and at work.

Where I live, most people don't give it a second thought. The rules of the 30s and 40s don't apply much in Eugene.

fedoralover

 

[Matt Deckard]

watching old footage and looking at old pics of men in stores and buildings, I don't think they took their hats off as much as people think they did. I always remove it when I get to my hat stand at the office, or automatically at the door of a place of worship or a police station or public office where respect is demanded, though I don't always take it off indoors unless I have a place to put it or decore or respect demands that I do so.

 

[Kentucky Blues]

I agree with Joseph about how often people took their hats off. It seems to me that some rules of etiquete just seem too hard to follow all the time, even if things were different back them. I take it off when in some movie theaters, though it sometimes stays on in the one near me, as the seats are arranged so even a really tall guy with big hair can sit in front of you without ruining your view. I usually keep it on at school, though sometimes take it off. And in other people's houses I tend to leave it on, though it depends on the occassion I guess. And its always off in church, though I sometimes wear it in the church library. I guess you could say I take it off when Indy takes his off, while on an adventure. But I try not to be disrespectful, though its pretty easy considering the way things are today.

 

[jamespowers]

I take my hat off indoors unless it is a public place. Places like lobbies, libraries and other public places where the ceiling is over eight and a half feet up give me the latitude to keep the hat on. I call it my eight foot rule.
Restaurants are always a place where I remove the lid.
In the house I remove it as well.
In the yard it is a prerequisite---just like pants. LOL
In my car it stays on. All of my cars give me enough room---now my wife's car is a different story.

Regards to all,

J

 

[havershaw]

Originally posted by Matt Deckard
watching old footage and looking at old pics of men in stores and buildings, I don't think they took their hats off as much as people think they did. I always remove it when I get to my hat stand at the office, or automatically at the door of a place of worship or a police station or public office where respect is demanded, though I don't always take it off indoors unless I have a place to put it or decore or respect demands that I do so.

I agree. Also...police stations? I have seen more fedora-clad detectives in the interrogation room of a police station in a film noir film than you'd see elves at the North Pole. Maybe they don't follow trheir own rules?

I take the hat off in my house, when I get to the hat rack...I take it off at work pretty much right when I get there, although I will sometimes wait until I'm 'settled down' to work before I'll take it off (some bands have said that you can tell I'm getting down to business when the hat comes off).

In stores, I leave it on, unless I'm talking to a female clerk. I take it off in other folks' homes...depending on the home. If I go to a party with a bunch of band folk, I'll just leave the hat on, because...well, they're used to seeing me in a hat, and there's also generally no place to put it. Sometimes if I'm at a family party with children, the hat will stay on, as I don't want curious little hands to destroy them.

In restaurants, if they're nice, the hat comes off immediately. If they're not that fancy, the hat stays on until we have a table, and then it comes off when we sit down. If we sit at the counter, it stays on.

I kind of appraoch it like an outdoors jacket. If you're in a place where you'd take off your coat, then you take your hat off too.

 

[up196]

Originally posted by havershaw

I kind of appraoch it like an outdoors jacket. If you're in a place where you'd take off your coat, then you take your hat off too.

That makes perfect sense. I think you've come up with a good guideline, there.

 

[jamespowers]

Originally posted by havershaw
I kind of appraoch it like an outdoor jacket. If you're in a place where you'd take off your coat, then you take your hat off too.

Does this work for flashers too? LOL

Regards to all,

J

 

[Retro Grouch]

Originally posted by jamespowers
I take my hat off indoors unless it is a public place. Places like lobbies, libraries and other public places where the ceiling is over eight and a half feet up give me the latitude to keep the hat on. I call it my eight foot rule.

I never really thought about it before but that's also my criteria. It also comes off in a restaurant/diner/lounge, no matter how "cheap" the place is. Then again, I'll leave the hat in the car if there is no place to put it inside the establishment. When I walk in the house the hat gets left on the peg.

Now, I live in the boonies. Pants are not always a requisite...but a hat is. LOL

Tom

 

[STHill]

Originally posted by Retro Grouch
Now, I live in the boonies. Pants are not always a requisite...but a hat is. LOL


Great, now I have this really uncomfortable mental image of Retro Grouch walking around in his back yard in his boxer shorts and a fedora.

But seriously, folks, it seems most of us are in general agreement. Hat on outside and in "open" public places. Hat off at home and inside smaller, "closed" spaces. I agree with some of you who just leave the hat in the car when you're going into a place where it's going to come off anyway, and you know there's not going to be any place to put it. I like the "jacket" and "eight-foot ceiling rules. Keepin' it simple, baby--one of the keys to a good life.

 

[Matt Deckard]

Now for ladies it's a different story. The hat can stay on pretty much all the time. Of course in the home it is taken off, or at the office though ladies rules are different... ladies weren't required to remove their hats for the national anthem or the pledge of allegiance.
You see cowboys with their hats over their hearts, though the ladies bonnet stays in place.

 

[Michaelson]

I once read that it was a standard rule that police never removed their fedoras while on duty, as they had to keep their hands empty should they need to go into action at a moments notice. Regards. Michaelson

 

[Andykev]

Removing hats

I don't know about the police removing their hats inside a place. Just from watching the old movies...the cops took off their hats when going into a respectable place, or a mansion, or the like. In an unsavory place or the crooks place, or the suspect, they did NOT remove their hats as they did not want to show respect at all to the bad guys. Also, cops back then (and maybe today) wern't thought much of, evidenced by many old movies I have seen. Even during the depression, when cops used to roust the bums (we call them homeless now), they were not liked.

Of course today, very few cops wear hats, and the ones that do use baseball caps.

The California Highway Patrol used to wear the soft brimmed cap (like the Pilot's hat from WWII) but you NEVER see that.

Few SFPD wear the old seven point hat either. That is too bad.

 

[jamespowers]

I long for the time when policemen wore these. What do you think Andy? LOL

Regards to all,

J

 

[Matt Deckard]

I believe one of our notorious police chiefs stated when he took the postion that they would start wearing hats again... he was a spit and pollish kind of guy, though the wearing of hats never trickled down to the beat cops. Only the higher ups would wear their regularly, and now that he is out I haven
t seen hide nor hair of the LA plice caps.

The CHP wears hats depending on where they are stationed... and always the campaign hat... I haven't seen one wearing a visored cap since I was a kid... I think those style caps were just for the cycle cops.

 

[Michaelson]

Was just citing what I read once, Andy. Regards. Michaelson

 

[Nathan Flowers]

Some of our city police wear the 7 pointed hat, but most don't wear a hat at all.

Our uniformed County Sheriff's Office Deputies have the option of wearing a campaign hat or going bare headed.

Our Highway Patrol officers always wear campaign hats outside, and are required to put it on when they exit the vehicle on a stop.

 

[Andykev]

It was a great topic

No, Michaelson, that was a great post, and thought provoking...as I posted a Uniform Hat question. comment. etc.

I had not thought of it but you sparked a great idea.

I guess what I see in old movies is the cops are supposed to be tough, and to remove your hat is a mark of a gentleman. I bet the cops didn't want to be percieved as gentle with the criminal element. Kind of an intimidation thing, like the badge and gun. Even little kids stare at cop's uniforms, and most school kids ask cops "how many guys have you shot?"