Dad worries about daughter

Dear Annie: My 26-year-old daughter is in a serious relationship with a partner 10 years her senior. He comes to the partnership with an established home. What would you advise my daughter to expect or require going into this marriage-like arrangement? Should she expect to be put on the house deed as soon as they are married? She is presently renting but saving for a home. Troubled Dad

Dear Troubled Dad: Whether or not to add her name to the deed is up to and between the two of them. Tread lightly here — because if her partner heard you showing such concern for his assets, he’d most likely be troubled himself.

Dear Annie: I recently moved into a large apartment complex in the heart of downtown. I was thrilled to snag a unit. A few nights a week, the couple who live upstairs are... intimate. I wish I didn’t know this, but they make it impossible for me not to. I’ve lived here for two months now, and they’ve shown no signs of subsiding. How could I politely bring this to their attention? I Hear You Up There

Dear I Hear You Up There: The path of least awkwardness here would be to buy a sound machine and/or earplugs. If that doesn’t take care of it, then it’s time to let the neighbors know. This is one circumstance in which a note is just fine. Keep it simple and upbeat.

Dear Annie: I don’t understand why everyone is in such a push to outlaw cellphone use while driving. If a distracted driver crashes into me, I don’t care if the person was answering a call, eating lunch, looking for a song or dealing with toddlers in the back seat; the person should have pulled over to deal with the distraction.

If we want to outlaw distractions, we cannot just outlaw phones. Eating in the vehicle, having pets in the vehicle, audio entertainment and talking to passengers would need to be outlawed, too. You’d be down to a one-seat car with no accessories in it.

Of course, that is ridiculous, as is thinking that outlawing phones is the answer. It is up to all drivers to limit their distractions as much as possible so that they are obeying the laws and rules of the road at all times. — Retired Traffic Cop and Driver Safety Instructor

Dear Retired Traffic Cop: You make a great point. Distracted driving is distracted driving, whatever the reason. Thanks for sharing your informed opinion on the matter.

Send your questions for Annie Lane to dearannie@creators.com.