DEAR ABBY: Whenever my best friend smells a cough drop, she comments that it's "rude" to eat one in public and that if someone is sick, the person should stay home.
I would much rather smell someone's cough drop than listen to coughing during an entire movie or opera. Some people may have bought expensive tickets to a show only to get sick the day before or have allergies that cause them to cough.
So is it rude to eat a cough drop in public or not? -- UNBOTHERED IN TEXAS
DEAR UNBOTHERED: If it was bad manners to pop a cough drop into one's mouth in public, more than a few large brands would be out of business. While I agree with your friend that if people are sick they should stay home, some coughs linger beyond the stage when they are contagious.
I do not think that because someone bought expensive tickets to an event and gets sick the day before that it's all right to attend anyway and risk infecting everyone within "cough-shot." The considerate thing to do is to cancel and ask for a refund.