A childhood belief about speaking

My mother used to tell me to never spit in front of women. She was trying to teach me to be a gentleman, but I took her literally. From then on, I spat only BEHIND women. One day, as we were walking through the mall parking lot, I spit on the ground. My mother scolded me to "Never spit in front of women". So I spit behind her. She thought I was being a smarta$$, and she slapped me silly.