This Just In...

Now this one....






Notice any difference between the two?

In this one, Phillips is wearing his trademark cowboy hat....

In this picture, he's sans hat....

Why?

In the picture of the game against the Bears where Phillips is shaking hands with Walter Payton, the game was played at Chicago's Soldier Field........outside.

In the other picture, the game was played at the Oilers' home stadium, the Houston Astrodome.......inside.

Someone once asked the folksy Phillips why he never wore his cowboy hat inside domed stadiums. Phillips replied that his mama taught him it was never polite to wear a hat indoors.

If only that sentiment were alive today.

There's an epidemic in society today and it's only getting worse: men wearing hats indoors, especially in restaurants. And it's not just in McDonald's or Culver's. Men are refusing to take their hats off in restaurants of all kinds.

You see it everywhere. Men of all ages, young and ancient, inside dining establishments, hats firmly placed on heads. The hat of choice is generally some rag-tag baseball cap.

My wife and I recently ate at Bar Louie at Bayshore. Bar Louie isn’t Sanford’s by any means but it’s not the Dew Drop Inn either. I swear I was in the minority. Most of the men in the place were wearing hats.

I’m reminded of a story a woman once told me about a first date. Excited about the evening, she dressed to the nines with fur coat, dress, high heels. Her escort showed up in shirt and jeans and some less than average coat. And let’s not forget, the very stylish baseball cap! Or at least he thought it was because he wore it throughout their entire elegant dinner.

Does my blood boil when I see these Neanderthals in restaurants looking foolish? No, it doesn’t. I don’t go screaming for the manager and I certainly don’t ask anybody to remove any clothing. My meals are never ruined because of a slob sitting next to me.

So what’s the beef? Simply that it’s bad manners. It’s wrong. The larger issue is that over the years, society has lost its grooming and etiquette skills, becoming uncivil.

DrDaveandDee.com is a free advice site. Dr. Dave is an MD, and Dr. Dee is a Ph.D. They answer questions on health, medicine, relationships, families, etiquette, manners, and fashion tips. On the subject at hand, Dr. Dave and Dr. Dee received the following;


Dear Dr. Dave and Dr. Dee,

Is it proper to keep your hat on in a casual restaurant?

Signed,

Hats Off to You

Dear Hats Off,

Assuming that you are asking about casual hats such as baseball caps, then the following applies: Although commonly seen in casual restaurants, it's really not proper etiquette to keep one's hat on when eating. Some etiquette experts advise taking off a hat when eating outdoors, too.


Here’s more.

So guys, use your manners. Make mom proud. Take the stupid hat off, not just in restaurants, but anyplace indoors.

And while we’re on this subject, it wouldn’t hurt to dress up a little when you go out, either.

To read previous Culinary no-no’s, please click CULINARY NO-NO under my TAGS section.