Sir, - Now, how on earth did Alan McGivergan (October 2nd) manage to turn the issue of the increasing rudeness of rail commuters into an attack on feminism?
Sharon Coady (October 1st) was speaking of a situation that could just as easily have applied to helping a blind man with a guide dog onto the train. It had nothing whatever to do with feminism!
Feminism is a movement that has allowed a woman like myself to be able to vote, to own land, to attend college, to pursue a professional career, to be paid the same amount as my male colleagues for doing the same job.
While there may be strident feminists who gave Mr McGivergan a hard time in the past when he dared to offer some courtesy, I for one do not agree with their attitude. I would gladly accept a door being opened for me - and, by the way, I am happy to open doors for others, male or female. Common courtesy has nothing to do with feminism, although some may have confused the two.
The reason for the increasing rudeness on the trains has all to do with the lack of services and nothing to do with the advance of feminism. When people are used to pushing and shoving to get onto a train, or resorting to catching a DART going backwards in order to cross the platform and fit onto a train going forwards, such aggressive behaviour becomes normal.
As someone who lives directly on the northside DART line, but has taken to catching two buses to work just to avoid the daily fights, I say: Let's keep the focus on where it should be - on the desperate need for better public transport - and not turn this issue into a distortive attack on the feminist movement. - Yours, etc.,
S. Hue, Raheny, Dublin 5.