Maybe Bring Your Own Water Next Time
DEAR MISS MANNERS: I am writing this on a flight to Dallas after the flight attendant just served my soft drink. Is it just me, or are other airline passengers just as irritated by the way these drinks are served?
More often than not, the attendant will stand in the aisle, check the drink order list, then grab the top of the cup with their fingers around its lip before handing it to the passenger. If this were a restaurant, you would never return.
I wanted to refuse my drink as a matter of principle, but the pretzels they previously served were calling my name.
Why can't all airlines do a better job in training their flight attendants on the very basic etiquette of serving a drink in a cup?
GENTLE READER: How do you know what the flight attendant training entails? Perhaps the safety of protecting your pants from spills is prioritized over cup-lip hygiene.
To be clear, Miss Manners does not condone the practice. But if you are squeamish, she would suggest that you not look too closely at either the passing of the cups or the other sanitary practices on airplanes. That is, if you still want those pretzels.
DEAR MISS MANNERS: I flew to the home of a friend to help her with a project as a favor. She has two cats, and unfortunately, I discovered that she keeps her two litter boxes positioned in common spaces. One was in the living room, adjacent to the kitchen, and the other was very close to the dining room table.
Both cats were allowed on the dining table and on the kitchen countertops. There was cat litter on the floor near the boxes, and the surfaces in the dining room and kitchen were not clean.
I found this all to be nauseating, to say the least. I tried to address this situation and got nowhere. I was so uncomfortable because of this, and other unwelcoming aspects of the visit, that I left several days early.
I feel badly that I left before the project was completed, but it was a very tense situation which was clearly not going to change. Was there another way to address this situation?
GENTLE READER: You have neglected to mention to Miss Manners how you addressed it here. If you said, "I'm sorry, but I seem to be having a reaction to the cats being out and about. I'm afraid for my health, and will have to leave early," it would have been fine.
If you said, "Your house is disgusting and your cats smell. I'm outta here!" -- that would be less fine.
As tempting as it may be, one cannot dictate how others maintain their homes. You can control how you react to it, however. Even while nauseated.
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(Please send your questions to Miss Manners at her website, www.missmanners.com; to her email, gentlereader@missmanners.com; or through postal mail to Miss Manners, Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)
Copyright 2025 Judith Martin
COPYRIGHT 2025 JUDITH MARTIN
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