To avoid calls that spoil walk, just silence the cell phone
Dear Abby: I dwell in a small, Southern and, I thought, safe hometown.
I’m currently unemployed and therefore unable to afford a place of my own. I live with my parents. I have job-searched for months now for something within walking distance.
I pay for food with food stamps. But I can’t yet pay for transportation, insurance and necessities.
I love to walk four to six times a week for 30 minutes to an hour. It helps me with depression and boosts my self-esteem, health and wellness. It shouldn’t be a problem, right?
Well, I’ve been warned several times that I could get hit by a vehicle, kidnapped and even murdered if I continue to do it. (My parents are fans of TV crime shows.)
I have spoken with the police in my area. They assure me it’s safe to be out for a walk. Yet, if I’m gone more than 15 or 20 minutes, I receive incessant warning calls on my cellphone.
What can I do about their overactive spookiness? — Stepping Out in Arkansas
Dear Stepping: When you leave for your walk, tell your parents what time they can expect you back, leaving yourself a few minutes’ leeway. Then silence your cellphone and enjoy your walk.
Dear Abby: Is it wrong to question some belief or fact that someone else has brought up? I’m not in the habit of picking fights in social situations. But if someone else brings it up first or makes a verifiable claim, I think I’m within my rights to ask for a source or to argue the point if I disagree.
I am being told that doing this is rude. I always thought that if someone makes a claim or statement, then it’s acceptable for the people you are talking with to ask where the information came from or to disagree.
And if someone doesn’t want to risk their opinion being challenged, they should keep their mouth shut.
Is it rude to ask, “Oh, what’s your source for that?” — Friendly Discussion
Dear Friendly: It depends upon the subject being discussed and the tone in which the question is asked. Sometimes it’s the way it comes across that makes others defensive.
Dear Abby: At the checkout counter I noticed the clerk had a tattoo in the cleavage of her breasts. I could see it because of her low-cut blouse. Should I compliment her on her nice tattoo? What exactly am I to do while she’s ringing up my purchase? — Baffled in the Midwest
Dear Baffled: What you should do is keep your eyes focused on the tally the computer monitor shows to be sure the checker is ringing up your purchase correctly.