In today's Miss Manners column, advice columnist Judith Martin provides guidance on how to politely request alone time from a friend during lunch breaks at work, suggesting that meeting at the studio is not a viable option and offering to go out to lunch instead as a show of goodwill.
Published: Jan. 31, 2025, 3:00 a.m.DEAR MISS MANNERS: How do I tell my friend to go away and leave me alone? I need my alone time to recharge, but she will keep talking and bothering me, especially during lunch at the studio where I work. She loves to eat spicy chips and they smell gross, and I don’t think she has ever chewed with her mouth closed. Other than that, she is a good friend.
GENTLE READER: Tell her that meeting at the studio is not a viable option for you. It is your workplace and not a place you like to eat socially. Then, just one time to show goodwill, offer to go out to lunch instead. Miss Manners cannot guarantee that your friend will keep her mouth closed while she eats there, either, but if you choose the restaurant wisely, perhaps you can avoid one that serves gross-smelling snacks.
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