I sat on a recumbent stele in Luxor temple once – it was a hot day (a very hot day) and there was nowhere to sit except on the ground. I’d been there for all of 5 seconds when a site guide came over and angrily shooed me off, telling me I was being disrespectful. I guess I was, but it hadn’t occurred to me at the time. I pointed with my foot at something on the ground in a flea market in Kyoto once – only to be met with a glare of disapproval from the owner of the patch (learnt later that pointing with your foot at something in Japan is an absolute no-no). Ditto blowing your nose there in public, or leaving your chopsticks in a bowl of rice (that’s only done for rice offerings to the dead).

My point is that they’re all harmless acts in themselves but can, and do, cause tremendous offence. So, before another room empties out in discord what’s the answer to this one (if there is an answer). Think it was Evergreen Dazed who said it’s all about common sense (or words to that effect - and apologies if it wasn’t ED) and that really is it isn’t... well nearly it... knowing what the customs and concerns are is also more than a little important and that means getting to know what they are and educating others about them.

I hate unwavering dogma and the blindness that goes with it to other people's points of view. Sometimes rules do have to be broken and Mustard is absolutely right to say, “They [the Suffragettes] should have stuck to the rules like everyone else instead of thinking they were special ;-)...” Absolutely, ditto those that have challenged, and continue to challenge, unfairness and stupidity at all levels and in all countries.

I think we’re all pretty much agreed that climbing Silbury is not on, so maybe it’s time for a bit of action on that front – emails to EH asking them to up the signage (in several different languages as someone has suggested) would be a start perhaps.