Where do you hang your hat?

[dnjan]

Keeping a hat on while sitting at a diner counter or bar seems acceptable, but my upbringing seems to be telling me that the difference between wearing a hat indoors and taking it off at the earliest convenience is similar to the difference between "ganksta" and a gentleman with a classic hat.

 

[Dinerman]

see, notice here how in all the pictures where I'm in a booth, the hat is gone; it's sitting safe, either next to me or on a hat hook.

 

[Dinerman]

How about this wonderful device?
I wonder if it works

 

[Pilgrim]

In most cases I can use a vacant chair, the support under a chair seat, or a horzontal surface at the edge of the booth. Those are all good options. If none are available...

I took a clue from an Ebay auction. I bought a package of large electrical alligator clips:

and strung about 3' of nylon cord through the open collar (where the wire would be inserted and crimped). Once the cord is tied into a loop, I have a hat holder which clips onto the brim and can hang from many things. The cord can be looped over the back of a chair, or tied to or looped over just about anything that is amenable to being looped or tied to.

The only place this doesn't work is where quarters are close enough that people will run into the hat while passing by. In church pews, my advice is to simply keep it in your lap or on your knee.

 

[Dinerman]

the only thing which scares me about those is the teeth.

 

[Chaperon]

I ask for a hat rack

When I'm in an establishment without proper hat storage, I'll find a place to park it off-head while I'm eating. When I'm done I often ask for the manager, owner, or other might-be-responsible party.

As politely as I can, I usually tell them something like "I'm sure you know more and more men are wearing hats now. It would be nice, and forward-thinking, if you could add a simple hat rack, or even a couple of hooks for the purpose."

Some places don't have coat hooks either, and I'll point that out too.

Seems to work ok - the local Greek place I go to now has a wall rack for hats and coats. The local Thai place also. I've noticed the hat hooks in the Greek place get plastic shopping bags hung on them sometimes as well.

 

[DBFedora]

At a restaurtant I generally place my hat on an available chair or booth seat or will ask for it to be put in a safe place until I am ready to leave. (You do need to tell the person the proper way to handle and place it, however.) Church is easy...I just put it in my office, and we do have a coat/hatrack at our church, too, for those who need it. If visiting a church other than my own, however, placing it on the pew next to me generally works, just as long as it not between me and the wife so we can sit close together.

 

[staggerwing]

Since my wife and I tend to frequent the same handfull of restaurants all the time, I usually know going in whether there's going to be a storage problem. If there is, the hat stays in the car. Kind of a wimp out answer, but it actually doesn't happen all that often. We tend to go in off hours when places aren't too crowded, so there's usually a vacant chair or something.

 

[ScionPI2005]

Am I the only one who takes his hat off to eat, indoors, regardless of the situation? I'll hang it on my knee if I have to. Those ballcap boys ALWAYS eat with their hat on and it drives me crazy! Aren't we "better" then that?

My old high school used to have a rule: no hats on inside any buildings. I dont go that far and remove my hat every time I enter a building, but I usually take my hat off anytime I'm going to sit down to eat. If there aren't any hat racks or whatever available, I'll sit it in a vacant seat at the table I'm at. Then I just wouldn't dare forget it.

 

[Snrbfshn]

I use a hat hanger...

Here's a device I made using a shortened credentials lanyard and a name badge clip (inspired by JP's leather Sky Hook):
http://new.photos.yahoo.com/jtban1/album/576460762329105319
The clip had flat jaws so it won't pinch the felt or crush straw. I usually loop the hanger through the top of my chair and hang my hat behind me, but I've hung it from the nearest wall sconce and looped it through window blinds, too.

 

[bolthead]

Here's a device I made using a shortened credentials lanyard and a name badge clip (inspired by JP's leather Sky Hook):
http://new.photos.yahoo.com/jtban1/album/576460762329105319
The clip had flat jaws so it won't pinch the felt or crush straw. I usually loop the hanger through the top of my chair and hang my hat behind me, but I've hung it from the nearest wall sconce and looped it through window blinds, too.

That's a super idea.....:eusa_clap

 

[Mindraker]

It usually depends on the formality of the place, IMO. McDonald's or Waffle House, for example, I might leave my hat on, because the tables might be too sticky or dirty to take my hat off. (They might be too small to find a place for a hat, too.) You also tend to eat with your hands.
A genuine "restaurant" (Chinese buffet, Ryan's Steakhouse, for example) I take my hat off. It's cleaner, more formal.

 

[Twitch]

I'll just sit my hat on an unused portion of the table or another chair. No, I worry about getting food on it. I'm not that sloppy! Only time I keep it on is if the table is full and I'm with vintage car guys at an eats place during a show. Most of them keep their hats and caps on inside.

 

[dnjan]

I've been told that is isn't proper to put one's hat on a table while eating. Personally, I worry about somebody spilling their drink ...

 

[Undertow]

Personally, I take my hat off ANY time I'm indoors unless I'm in a public shopping area like a mall or grocery store, or if I'm standing in a public area like a waiting room STILL WAITING TO BE HELPED. If I'm planning to sit somewhere, or rest somewhere, or talk to someone for more than five minutes and I'm indoors at a public facility (or private for that matter), I take my hat off. And always at the table.

However, the exception I make is while getting a quick bite AND I'm unable to set my hat on my knee. I don't think hats should be placed on a table so I leave it on. However, if I'm going to be there more than ten minutes, I'll hold the darn thing if need require.

 

[Zig2k143]

I put mine right on the table I'm eating at brim over the edge... Like someone said they mainly seat two people at a 4 person table so there is usually room.

I'm with most of us I like to take my hat off when eating.

 

[MD11]

Show me your hat racks..

I tried to do a search and didn't find much, but I wonder if any of you have been able to find some nice "vintage" or even modern artisan quality hat racks for your hats? I'd like to find a nice 4-5 hat rack to place by my door, but the last thing I want to buy is a made in china Walmart special or something..

thanks

Sam

 

[thunderw21]

Not really a hat rack, I use one of these. I cannot for the life of me remember what they are called. [huh]

 

[carouselvic]

Halltree

 

[freebird]

I've got the standard industrial grade hall tree I nabbed from my employer when they closed the plant.It's painted industrial grey and is all steel. They were selling alot of stuff for scrap, and that was one of the things I rescued. Fortunately, I was one of two people who hauled the scrap to the salvage yard.