i have lived in the south for so long (my life minus ten months) that today i did the unthinkable.  i was walking towards the gym and a guy was walking towards the gym from the other direction and we were going to awkwardly arrive at the door at the same time, creating the problem of who opens the door.  so i slowed my pace and arrived a second after him.  (you know you do this, too.)  he was pulling open the door and then paused for a millisecond, which i took to mean "after you!", which is often what that means here in the lovely south.  so i moved to walk through the door only to realize he was NOT holding the door for me and in fact was just going through it himself, and i looked like a jerk face who tried to pass him and speed my way into the gym first.  argh.  and he had to pause and say "go ahead" but i knew he didn't really mean for me to go ahead.

door holding.  i love it.  it happens all the time - men and women.  this the south.  we are equal opportunity polite.  but simmer down, miss claire.  don't assume everyone wants to hold the door for you.

when i lived in new hampshire i was shocked - SHOCKED - that people didn't hold the door, or at least hold the door open behind them so it didn't slam in the face of the person behind them.  common courtesy, people.  common courtesy.