Visitors show up empty-handed

Dear Annie: We are fortunate to finally own lake property. We are thrilled! We have worked hard, and still work hard, to afford this luxury. We also like to have guests, but please, guests, be on your best manners and observe common courtesies. When you come and stay the weekend with us, bring your own beach towels, swimsuits and food and beverages (not only for yourself but also to share with others), as well as anything else you might need.

You are our guests, and we want to enjoy our property with you, but for us to want to invite you back, please don’t come empty-handed. And would it be too much to bring a hostess gift? Why not ask me what kind of beverage I like and bring that for me and my wife? We as owners are already paying for the property, utilities, upkeep, insurance and more. If you were renting a lake place, you would be expected to pay rent. Why do you think it is OK to show up empty-handed at a friend or relative’s place?

We want to enjoy our lake property with you, and we want to invite you back. Please help us to do that. Bring food, at the very least. — The Smiths

Dear Smiths: You sent your letter to the wrong address. Your guests are the ones who need to hear this — or a much shorter and sweeter version of it, anyway, with none of the exasperated rhetorical questions. Ask if they’d please bring swimsuits and beach towels, along with food and beverages. You don’t even need to give an explanation.

Dear Annie: I am writing with the hope that you and I can perform an important public service.

I see many people walking on the street in front of my house, and I am seriously concerned. When I was little, my parents explained to me that I should always walk on the left side of the street. Approximately 40 percent of the people I see have not learned that simple rule, and they are taking a significant risk. The reason for walking on the left side of the street is that one wants to be facing the cars that are driving on his or her side of the street. Under this plan, you can move off of the street if the car seems to be too close to where you are walking. With more people talking on the phone or texting while driving, this is even more of a problem these days. If you are walking on the right side of the street, you will never know what is about to injure or even kill you (and possibly also your child or dog). — Marshall Sellers

Dear Marshall: I received several letters this week on this topic. I have a feeling part of the problem lately might be that walkers and joggers often need to veer off into streets to go around another person on the sidewalk. Since they started off walking on the sidewalk, they weren’t considering the direction of traffic.

Your letter makes a great case for why we should walk against the direction of traffic even when we’re walking on the sidewalk, just in case we need to do the social-distance shuffle into the street.

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