You will admit, I am sure, be you American or English, that everybody has a right to his own way?
The proverb "When in Rome you must do as Rome does" covers it, and would save trouble if we always obeyed it.

The people who forget it most are they that go to Rome for the first time; and I shall give you both English and American examples of this presently.

It is good to ascertain before you go to Rome, if you can, what Rome does do.
Have you never been mistaken for a waiter, or something of that sort?
Perhaps you will have heard the anecdote about one of our ambassadors to England.

All ambassadors, save ours, wear on formal occasions a distinguishing uniform, just as our army and navy officers do; it is convenient, practical, and saves trouble.

But we have declared it menial, or despotic, or un-American, or something equally silly, and hence our ambassadors must wear evening dress resembling closely the attire of those who are handing the supper or answering the door-bell.
An Englishman saw Mr.Choate at some diplomatic function, standing about in this evening costume, and said: "Call me a cab." "You are a cab," said Mr.Choate, obediently.
Thus did he make known to the Englishman that he was not a waiter.
Similarly in crowded hotel dining-rooms or crowded railroad stations have agitated ladies clutched my arm and said: "I want a table for three," or "When does the train go to Poughkeepsie ?" Just as we in America have regular people to attend to these things, so do they in England; and as the English respect each other's right to privacy very much more than we do, they resent invasions of it very much more than we do.