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agonyaunt2023-05-24 07:13 am
petrea_mitchell) wrote in agonyaunt2023-05-24 07:13 am
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Miss Manners: Calling the police on neighbors doesn’t count as ‘ignoring’ them
That was the actual headline.
DEAR MISS MANNERS: Our new neighbors are well-known for being troublemakers. We are maintaining a cold and distant relationship with them, due to their famously disrespectful ways, and we have already been warned they are gossiping about us because of this.
I had to request intervention from the police due to them constantly blocking the entrance to my garage. I need to know if there is something polite I can write in my social media feed, which they follow, to the effect of, “The original homeowners are always remembered for their excellent behavior, respect, good boundaries and friendly relations -- things that the new owners are completely lacking.”
We are ignoring them, but they haven’t forgotten my call to the police and are constantly gossiping that we are the bad ones.
GENTLE READER: Etiquette will sanction your ignoring the new neighbors you so dislike -- or, when forced to interact with them, keeping your relations merely civil -- if we can agree that attacking them on social media and calling the police on them cannot be fairly called either cold or distant.
Miss Manners recommends actually ignoring them because it requires so much less effort -- and because civilities fail once the attacks begin.
DEAR MISS MANNERS: Our new neighbors are well-known for being troublemakers. We are maintaining a cold and distant relationship with them, due to their famously disrespectful ways, and we have already been warned they are gossiping about us because of this.
I had to request intervention from the police due to them constantly blocking the entrance to my garage. I need to know if there is something polite I can write in my social media feed, which they follow, to the effect of, “The original homeowners are always remembered for their excellent behavior, respect, good boundaries and friendly relations -- things that the new owners are completely lacking.”
We are ignoring them, but they haven’t forgotten my call to the police and are constantly gossiping that we are the bad ones.
GENTLE READER: Etiquette will sanction your ignoring the new neighbors you so dislike -- or, when forced to interact with them, keeping your relations merely civil -- if we can agree that attacking them on social media and calling the police on them cannot be fairly called either cold or distant.
Miss Manners recommends actually ignoring them because it requires so much less effort -- and because civilities fail once the attacks begin.
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Dear LW:
No.
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That's my favorite part! "Is there a way I can burn them on social media, letting all of facebook know that these people are terrible even though it's nobody's business, while still feeling like the polite and civil person?" I mean, you've answered your own question, LW.
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