The dressing down of America

Do you remember the 1944 hit song "The Trolley Song"? It was the story of a young woman who went out to ride the trolley for fun and found a new love.

She boarded the old street car in her "high starched collar and her high top shoes with her hair piled high upon her head." The young man, "in his light brown derby and his bright green tie was quite the handsomest of men".

I remember riding street cars and public transit buses as a youth when the vehicle and the passengers were clean and courteous. I remember when flight on an airliner was occasion for shirt and tie, and a sport coat, which you could fold neatly and lay in the overhead bin to keep it from becoming wrinkled during the trip.

Today, two or three other passeners would cram their backpacks on top of your jacket. The last time I rode a city bus in a big city, a disheveled drunk had vomited on the floor in front of his seat. And we all know of stories of passengers stabbed or beaten on public transit vehicles.

There was a time when ladies would not go out without their gloves. Today... well, you know what some wear.

What has happened? What has become of pride in personal appearance? What is the cause of such widespread slovenliness?

For some time I was very critical of rock music stars for their weird apparel and makeup - then I realized they had simply discovered a new way to make a living. But, are they setting the standards for appearance?

Does it begin in the home? As a small boy, I remember my mother grabbing me by the ear and dragging me back into the house if I headed out for school looking dirty or unkempt. Where are the mothers of boys who can best be described as unwashed slobs?

Are there no longer standards at school? I will always believe that one of the best tools in the hands of my early teachers was the paddle. Misbehave in any unreasonable way and you were marched to the cloak room where the teacher ordered you to grab your ankles while she swatted your bottom with the dreaded paddle.

Whatever the cause, I believe that a major problem with the use of public transit is the natural aversion to being seated next to a smelly, unpleasant person... something almost certain to happen if anyone else is riding!