I read this with some interest, as I have been on more than one occasion been accused of discourtesy because of my hat wearing custom. For religious reasons, I wear a hat essentially any time I'm out of bed and not in the shower. I'm an observant Jew, and it is our custom. I try to remember if I am going to be in a church, to have a kippah (skullcap) with me, so I can remove my hat and replace it with a kippah. However, in restaurants, etc, I do not. Please remember that in today's multicultural world, even a kilted man may have other cultural imperatives, and don't assume that failure to remove a hat, or follow some other custom is from ignorance or discourtesy.

Geoff Withnell