Chivalry dead?

Today at lunch, a couple of my female colleagues doing the usual PLG (Post Lunch Gossip). They mentioned words like "ungentlemanly" and "rude". And that was all it took to steer my pointy feline ears honing into the rest of their conversation. The rant was how this certain guy did not escort a certain lady home and therefore he is labeled with a bumper sticker "Boorish Cad".

I didn't catch the full story but I wasn't too interested in the cause and effect of such relationship scenes. To sum it up, this only feels like one thing to me.

A wedgie.

It feels darn uncomfortable but you can't adjust it in public. So you just have to live with it. At least till you move to a discreet corner or do it fast and smoothly enough for others to mistake that as a groovy retro dance move.

Don't escort = Cad, Escort = groovy dance move. Either way, you lose. Whatever happened to free will?

This myopic idea of what constitutes Chivalry and escorting ladies home suffers from astigmatism as well.

what is Chivalry? And what does it mean to them... the ladies here at least. It's apparent that it's very different from this. Courtesy is fine and great but when it extends to unreasonable demands, my fur gets ruffled, my claws unsheathed, etc etc... You get the drift. What were they expecting? Limo ride completed with 5 course dinner?

To me, Chivalry manifests through your attitude and worldview. It is a warrior code with a key aim to help those in need or weaker than thou. Of course they would have to be deserving and willing. My two colleagues aren't weaker nor were they in need. So it doesn't apply here. But i'll go as far to suggest that they felt slighted somehow and this is a direct manifestation of weakness. How strong can you be if someone didn't give you a ride home and you moan about it?