DEAR ABBY: I had an urgent piece of mail to get to the post office. My sister called the postmistress, who agreed to stay open for her to deliver it. In the meantime, I found two other pieces of mail that required checks, quickly wrote them out and gave the three envelopes to my sister, who rushed them to the post office.
Upon her return, she showed me her vehicle, which had a deep gash running along one side because she had backed down the driveway too quickly, not paying attention, and had scraped the car against the stone post. She thinks I should pay half the cost of repair because "I was involved."
I think it was her carelessness, and therefore, I should not have to pay. I'm not angry, just confused by her reasoning because the same thing happened to me when I ran an errand for her, but I paid on my own for my carelessness. What do you think? -- THINKS DIFFERENTLY IN TENNESSEE
DEAR THINKS DIFFERENTLY: I think you should remind your sister that when the same thing happened to you while running an errand for her, you assumed the responsibility for paying for it. For her to say that you were "involved" is stretching the truth. She's trying to guilt you into paying. Stand your ground.