Am I obligated to grant visitation rights to this couple?
In today's column, Miss Manners advises a reader who is having some unwanted company, possibly on an annual basis.
I certainly don’t want to appear stingy with guests. But the idea of bringing out more food seems to encourage lingering and drifting into the dinner hour and beyond. It seems to me that empty platters should signal it’s time to say thanks and goodbye. But does it appear churlish to leave the bowls and platters empty?Fill or clear any empty receptacle, in which category Miss Manners includes the guests. So if Uncle Larry is lingering by the dessert table hoping for something more, swoop him up and introduce him to any available guest in the next room before passing on. Eventually the table will be empty, and the guests will get the idea and go home.
Now we have received a letter from this couple. They would like us to continue to send pictures, and they are also planning to “stop by” when they come back to town this summer. They promise they will come by only for an hour or so, but they would like to make it an annual event.
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