DEAR ABBY: Today was warm, so my friend and I went for a walk with my dog at a neighborhood park. We decided to rest on a park bench that was shaded by trees. A man was sitting there, and I asked if he would mind if we shared the bench with him. The man said he was waiting for a personal call. I told him we wouldn't listen and sat down. The man stood up and said angrily that we should have respected the fact he was there first and stalked off! Were we wrong to sit down? -- BAFFLED IN CALIFORNIA
DEAR BAFFLED: No, you were not wrong. It's a public park. If the man was uncomfortable talking in front of you, he should have taken his phone and talked elsewhere -- which he did.