When did it become acceptable for a man to eat at a restaurant while wearing a hat?

I’ll admit that I’m a little dated but my contemporaries and I were trained from youth to remove your hat when you go into a church, person’s home, restaurant, or bar. In fact, if you went into the Navy NCO clubs (Acey Ducey club) without removing your hat you had to buy a round of drinks for the bar.

We would also remove or tip our hats to ladies and the clergy. When did common decency and manners disappear?

I’ll tell you the truth, everytime I see a grown man wearing a hat while eating at a resturant, I have to fight the urge to knock it off his head.