DEAR MISS MANNERS: My son is in a public high school where there is large disparity between incomes from some of the poorest to some of the wealthiest in the United States. While this is a known fact of the school, I have recently found myself in the uncomfortable position where women from the wealthy side of the freeway ask me what street we live on, fishing to determine if we live in their "acceptable" area. Their questioning starts with street, continues on to parameters of the neighborhood, old house or rebuilt, and how many updates we've made to the "old" house.
How do I shut this down in the beginning? It's not just friendly chitchat, and they are clearly not being as stealthy as they think they are.
GENTLE READER: "I live within the parameters of the school neighborhood. Aren't we all lucky to be within its borders?"
And then change the subject to how the parents can be further involved in the betterment of the school. Surely, that will be a source of much more material, if not actual interest.
(Please send your questions to Miss Manners at her website, www.missmanners.com; to her email, dearmissmanners@gmail.com; or through postal mail to Miss Manners, Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)