A person seeks advice on how to politely avoid touching a friend's phone at dinner, given their husband's immunocompromised status and germ concerns. Miss Manners offers solutions for both immediate and long-term scenarios.
A friend of ours constantly passes his cellphone around our dinner table to share photos. My husband is immunocompromised, and so we are careful of germ exposure. We don’t want to touch this friend’s phone.
What is a polite way to avoid touching his phone and to stop this activity? I think we should just say, “No thanks.” Maybe I should talk to him in private so he isn’t embarrassed.Speaking with your friend, or gently announcing to all your guests that your table is a device-free zone, solves the long-term solution. But if you forget, or run into a similar problem with someone else -- and phone-passing has become a widespread nuisance of our time -- Miss Manners suggests you simply stand up, go to your husband and intercept the phone before he has to take it. You can make this look natural -- expressing delight at the photo and showing it to your husband -- before you then pass it to the next person over. After that, you only need to complete the action that ostensibly caused you to rise: a trip to the kitchen if this is your home, or to the bathroom if it is someone else’s.Judith Martin, who goes by the pen name of Miss Manners, is an author and columnist on etiquette authority. Martin graduated from Wellesley College with a degree in English. She began her career in writing as a...
Etiquette Dinner Table Phone Sharing Social Situations Health Concerns
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Medicare Mondays with Mackenzie: Navigating Larkin’s Law with Medicare coverageMackenzie Anderson from Premier Medicare Solutions joined 'We Are Austin' to shed light on Larkin’s Law and its significance for Texans.Larkin’s Law was created
Read more »
The AI Economy's Security Battleground: Navigating the 2026 Inflection PointAs the global economy transitions to AI-native, enterprises face a new era of security challenges. This article explores the rise of autonomous AI agents, the evolving threat landscape, and the crucial shift from reactive to proactive security measures. It highlights the importance of securing identities, data, and AI agents to build a trusted foundation for innovation and to effectively manage the new hybrid workforce, as well as the new challenges facing the cybersecurity industry.
Read more »
Navigating pet loss during the holiday seasonFor some people, pet loss can feel especially isolating because not everyone recognizes it as a “real” loss.
Read more »
Airplane Seat Cramping Sparks Debate on Passenger Etiquette and Airline PoliciesTravelers are increasingly sharing uncomfortable experiences related to cramped airplane seating on social media. These posts, detailing situations where passengers felt trapped or squeezed, have reignited discussions about airline seating policies, passenger etiquette, and the enforcement of space regulations, with users debating responsibility and solutions.
Read more »
Holiday Dinner Table: Navigating Tricky Political TopicsAs families gather for the holidays, avoid potentially divisive political discussions by steering clear of controversial figures and policy debates. The article offers a humorous guide on conversation topics to avoid, such as internal Republican Party conflicts, unexpected alliances, and sensitive policy matters.
Read more »
Navigating Trade Wars: Resilience Strategies for BusinessesThis article examines how U.S. and Chinese companies, impacted by the 2018 trade war tariffs, adapted and what factors contributed to their resilience. It analyzes transaction data for over 300 company pairs, focusing on innovation, corporate social responsibility, and political ties. The study aims to help leaders understand how to weather economic conflicts.
Read more »