Ah! Okay when taking someone’s arm, they aren’t supposed to take your arm and hold it. Sorry forgot that quite a few people don’t know that. As the one in need of assistance, the person helping you should merely hold their arm at a 90 degree angle and keep pace you, stepping with the same foot as you each step to maintain balance. Basically 1800-1950’s promenade. You hold on to their arm, they don’t hold you at all. Same with helping someone up from the ground, you don’t pull them up, you’re supposed to stand still, well balanced and braced for the weight of the one you’re helping. They use your leverage to pull themselves up. The only time that’s different is if they are unable to stand at all, in which case you stand behind the person, putting hands under their arms and linking them in front and lift them by their shoulders not their ribs or stomach.

But I guess with the fall out of antiquated manners, the proper way to offer an arm as assistance is a dying art and too many folks believe it’s their job to hold the person up not to be a brace for them to hold themselves up upon. But I have found if you explain how to do it properly, people really do get it and understand. Lucked out with my cousin at the wedding since he went to private school same as me and we were taught “proper” conduct.