a) Discourtesy is not a legal offence. b) The lift man demand was not paid and heed. c) The lift man was fined. d) The lift man wanted the passenger to speak continuously
Answers
Explanation:
The young lift man in a City office who threw a passenger out of the lift the other morning and
was fined for the offence was undoubtedly in the wrong. It was a question of “Please.” The complaint
entering the lift, said, “Top” The left man demanded “Top-please,” and this concession being refused
he not only declined to comply with the instruction, but hurled the passenger out of the lift. This, of
course was carrying a comment on manner too far. Discourtesy is not a legal offence, and it does not
excuse assault and battery. If a burglar breaks into my house and I knock him down, the law will
acquit me, and if I am physically assaulted, it will permit me to retaliate with reasonable violence. It
does this because the burglar and my assailant have broken quite definite commands of the law. But
no legal system could attempt to legislate against bad manners or could sanction the use of violence
against something which it does not itself recognize as a legally punishable offence. And our
sympathy with the lift man, we must admit that the law is reasonable. It would never do if we were at
liberty to box people‟s ears because we did not like their behaviour, or the tone of their voices, or the
scowl on their faces. Our fists would never be idle, and the gutters of the city would run with blood all
day.
I may be as uncivil as I may please and the law will protect me against violent retaliation. I
may be haughty or boorish and there is penalty to pay except the penalty of being written down an
ill-mannered fellow. The law does not compel me to say “Please or to attune my voice to other
people‟s sensibilities any more than it says that I shall not wax my moustache or dye my hair or wear
ringlets down my back.