Miss Manners: I want to tell these parents that their children are at risk

DEAR MISS MANNERS My husband and I attend our local university basketball games Because he is hard of hearing we are very conscious of the damage the excessively loud noise can do to one s ears Related Articles Miss Manners We can t have a graduation party and nobody s going to be happy Miss Manners Our school s mentor appreciation week is so tacky Miss Manners Is it weird when I talk behind my hand My husband says it is Miss Manners The maid of honor s wedding-day surprise was not a pleasant one Miss Manners My wife s habit makes me cringe After all these years should I say something We both wear hearing protection at the games him to protect what he has left and me to preserve the good hearing that I have I am very much bothered when I see young children various only babies who are in attendance without hearing protection I know that speaking to the young parents would likely be seen as objectively intrusive by a busybody grandma yet I strongly feel an urge to alert them to the damage that can be done to young ears Is there a rule of etiquette that speaks to this situation GENTLE READER There is and it prohibits you from telling strangers how to live their lives Miss Manners realizes that this seems harsh One is allowed to yell or grab people to prevent them from being hit by a car so why not something that feels to you from your own experience no less threatening Unfortunately there are enough bad things that could happen that if everyone were constantly coming up to us to tell us what not to do we would be inundated This rule does not apply to corporations however so you should feel free to express your concerns to the venue and the teams DEAR MISS MANNERS I have a dear friend who occasionally attends functions with me where food is available usually breakfasts She invariably takes an item a bagel muffin or cookie say breaks off the amount she wants and then puts the remainder back on the serving platter I think this is wrong as she s touching the food with bare hands and returning it for others to eat If it s a casserole or something to be scooped up with utensils that s fine but not a single-serving baked item that she s touching She thinks it s a good practice to not waste food that she won t eat and if she just wants a taste it s OK for her to break off what she wants Interestingly enough when I bake an item for home like brownies or a pie or casserole I tend to allow people to choose their own size portion Yet if this same friend is present she will grab a knife and cut the item into equal portions despite being requested not to do so Is it me or is there a right answer Related Articles Dear Abby After all those dates she says there s no spark Was I played Asking Eric My wife doesn t believe she s giving too much mother-in-law Harriette Cole I m appalled that my dad billed my mom for painting the rooms Miss Manners We can t have a graduation party and nobody s going to be happy Dear Abby I mentioned certain horrible things on Facebook and now I can t see my grandkids GENTLE READER Your friend is a society menace isn t she The right answer is for her to be a good guest which means not trying to play hostess and keeping her hands off food meant for other people At functions you are both attending this also applies to you In your own home Miss Manners recommends walking the platter around as that will limit her access to the serving knife or at least to a stable surface on which to employ it 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 Walnut St Kansas City MO