On vacation, be a considerate guest

Thu., May 27, 2010

Kathy Mitchell/Marcy Sugar

Dear Annie: I recently had a visit from an old friend and am still fuming about it. Because I have a nice home and live in a desirable vacation spot, there are people who expect me to be thrilled that they popped in to see me. For those who do the visiting, here is my advice:

•Don’t plan to stay more than three days in someone’s home. After that, get a hotel room.

•Don’t expect your hosts to do everything for you. Take care of yourself, and don’t be a burden.

•Rent a car or take a bus if you want to see the sights. They don’t owe you a tour, and if they drive you anywhere, offer to pay for gas.

•When they get home from a long day at work, don’t tell them you were bored lounging in their house all day.

•If they take you somewhere, don’t make a mess of their car, complain about how long the trip is or expect them to stop every 15 minutes so you can use the bathroom.

Hopefully they will see themselves and get the message. – You Are No Longer Welcome Here

Dear You: We suspect this friend is not the easiest to get along with on a good day and, as a guest, was particularly annoying. Even so, all guests should try to be as considerate as possible if they expect to be invited back.

Annie’s Mailbox is written by Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar, longtime editors of the Ann Landers column. Please e-mail your questions to anniesmailbox@ comcast.net, or write to: Annie’s Mailbox, c/o Creators Syndicate, 5777 W. Century Blvd., Ste. 700, Los Angeles, CA 90045.

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