DEAR MISS MANNERS: My husband and I have moved into a new-to-us home that has a hot tub. Upon receiving an invite to come visit, people comment they will bring their bathing suits for the hot tub.
The hot tub is known of only by looking at the realty listing pictures online. I have replied that we were not planning on using the spa that day.
Should I just continue to repeat this with every person who offers to use our spa? We are not interested in using the tub with others. I imagine that people with swimming pools have a similar issue. Am I handling this politely?
GENTLE READER: Your explanation is polite, but may not be effective. It should be easy enough to answer that, "We're so sorry, but it's not usable today."
Miss Manners realizes that people who feel entitled to make themselves at home in your house may not accept this truthful answer, in which case she authorizes you to add, "We're planning to do some work on it." Pool owners will have more difficulty explaining why a clearly functioning pool is unavailable, and are therefore counseled to invest in a pool cover.