You know- this door holding thing drives me crazy. I ALWAYS hold the door open for ladies of any age, and I have taught (or am teaching) all 4 of my sons to do the same. Guys give this reason "they don't even acknowledge the courtesy" or whatever- If you are doing it only for the credit or the acknowledgement, you are doing it for the wrong reason.
GUYS OPEN DOORS FOR LADIES BECAUSE IT IS POLITE!
I absolutely do it for the right reasons. I only open doors for Ladies. Ladies are courteous - ergo, they have doors opened for them. The rest can exercise their equal rights. ;-)
I do the hold doors thing too still. I sometimes get the thank-you, but like you that doesn't matter much to me. It's just politeness.
Around here, when a woman walks into a building following another group of people who hold the door for her, and I am going in the same door only a few steps behind her, she will 9 times out of 10 slip in without holding the door. I've even had a few look back, see me, and then slip in. Pretty pathetic.
Oh and my brother has experienced opening the right side door to a restaurant for his wife and having someone inside the restaurant come barging through. That usually gets him pretty steamed.
Oh and I hold the door open for anybody, not just women.
And ladies say thank you because it is polite. Anyone who would do otherwise is ilbred and rude. You can be a strong woman without being a rude woman.