DEAR ABBY: Will you please answer a question about telephone etiquette? If you call family or friends long-distance and their answering machine answers, is it polite to ask them to return your call? -- RICHARD SHOWSTACK, NEWPORT BEACH, CALIF.
DEAR RICHARD: Yes. And if you really want to hear from them, say, "My number is ( ) and please call me COLLECT."
They may not call you collect, but I'll bet they call you.