DEAR ABBY: A while back you printed a letter from a woman who said her boyfriend had not shown up for their planned vacation together. She left messages on his answering machine, but he never returned the calls. You told her she should consider herself lucky to have found out he had a "seven-year itch" before they married.
I am a policeman, and I see it differently. She should have called the police department in the city where her boyfriend resides. The police would have driven by his residence and knocked on his door to make sure he had not had an accident that would keep him from answering his phone.
Police in every city will do "welfare checks" for anyone who is worried about a friend or loved one. It could make the difference between life and death. -- COP IN ALABAMA
DEAR COP IN ALABAMA: You're right. It could. I checked with the Los Angeles Police Department and was informed that this is part of their community service, too. Your solution is better than the one I offered.