In today’s modern age, where epic battles for gender equality are raging, we should be surprised to see a man open the door of a car for a woman. This “gentlemen’s” habit seems to have endured and continues to be quite popular, but why? Why do men still do it and why do even the most ardent supporters of feminism still allow the practice, is beyond me.

While this may seem like a silly endeavor, I am genuinely curious. I went to YouTube in search of opinions and was surprised by the amount of thoughts on this subject. But first, I felt that I needed to see the correct way to open a car door for a female guest. Let’s build a good foundation for our topic.

Now that I understand the mechanics, I wanted to know why we still do it. Men seem to have abandoned most acts of chivalry, so why not this one. We no longer put our coats over a puddle, light her cigarette or pull the chair out and seat her at a restaurant; but we still seem to open doors.

Men of all stripes will do it, even the most misogynist of males.  It’s baffling.  Bill Burr, a stand-up comedian, feels he has discovered the “real reason” that men “tolerate” women. His answer lies at 1:09. (language!).

While he and Freud may agree on the root cause of what motivates men, I’m not sure that just the simple act of opening a car door will yield the results he wants.  I need another perspective.  This guy seems focused on “pretty girls” but goes to great lengths anyway, to explain his position on the subject. He’s long winded, so just watch long enough to see that he’s an ass and move on. I wish I could edit YouTube…

Ok, he really seems to have some latent ax to grind.  What about Chivalry? Is it “ok”? Let’s look elsewhere.

Apparently it’s Ok according to the two hosts.  But how do you do it? Lost in darkness, I found a guide..

Chivalry is great but what about the “car door” opening thing?  I still have questions though:

1. Why are men the only ones who do it?
2. If the woman is driving the car, is it proper for the man to open the driver door for her and then trot over to the passenger side and hop in?
3. Has anyone ever seen #2 happen?
4. Is it ok for a woman to open the car door for a man who is her passenger?
5. Has anyone ever seen #4 happen?

The only conclusion that I can come to is this:

1. Only men open the car door.
2. Men only do it when they are the driver of the vehicle.

But why?

1. It’s an easy, efficient and inexpensive way to impress a woman.
2. Men are lazy and cheap, see #1
3. It say’s “this is my car, I’m the captain and I’m in control”
4. Men have fragile ego’s, see #3
5. Men can do this operation without talking.
6. Men consistently say the wrong thing and land themselves in trouble, see #5

So, why do we open the car door for a woman, especially someone we love? It’s about the only thing that we can do without screwing up (as you don’t slam her leg in the door) and we desperately need as many points in the win column as possible. Why do women still allow it? My guess…for the fun of it, everyone likes to feel special once in a while. As for me, I open the door simply because I love to show her (Lilly) how special she is to me.