DEAR MISS MANNERS: I attended a music festival, where I wore pasties instead of a top. While there, I actually ran into a group of co-workers, who all had a good laugh at seeing me in such a state of undress.

When I return to work, should I address the incident in any way, or should I pretend it never happened? Do I just laugh it off? I am pretty sure people will spread this story around the office, and it was obviously a bit embarrassing.

GENTLE READER: Let them have their laughs. Presumably you followed the festival directive: Scantily clad for maximum airflow.

Unless there are even more embarrassing photographs on social media, you need not submit your off-work life to their judgment. And if there are, Miss Manners suggests you delete them immediately.

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I am in the process of searching for a home for myself, my spouse and our young child. It will be a slight upgrade from the house we currently own, but we cannot afford anything large.

Many of the houses we view have three modest upstairs bedrooms, a kitchen and one large living/dining room downstairs. Thinking only of our own needs, we would be happy to turn the spare bedroom into a study and let the living/dining room be a playroom for our child. She can get a lot more use out of the floor space than we can as adults, especially during colder months.

I envision setting up an art table and art supply cabinet, various areas for pretend play, and a central dance area in this space. Any seating in this room would be appreciated only by those who enjoy being in the midst of kid activity.

If we were to set up our home this way, would it be rude for us to entertain guests (whether they come for a meal or merely to chat over tea) in our kitchen? Notice that I also do not have a dedicated spare bedroom in the above plan.

What rooms am I required by etiquette to have, even when square footage is limited?

GENTLE READER: This may come as a shock, but etiquette does not care how your house is laid out (or whether or not you have a guest room), only that you do your best to accommodate guests with seating and refreshments when they are there.

Therefore, Miss Manners condones entertaining in the kitchen and holding dance parties in the living room -- as well as the occasional chair made out of Legos for anyone who is up for it.

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I’ve always wondered about this situation, which happens to me from time to time: Person A has finished their business in the restroom and opens the door, only to find Person B arriving to use the facilities.

Who has the “right of way” in this case -- the incoming person or the outgoing? Is there a proper etiquette?

Common sense tells me the incoming person probably has more of an urgent need, but maybe it’s not proper to let them in before the outgoing person exits.

GENTLE READER: The person leaving the facilities is usually allowed to exit first. But if the other person’s bathroom needs are that visibly urgent, Miss Manners suggests you get out of their way.

(Please send your questions to Miss Manners at her website, www.missmanners.com; to her email, gentlereader@missmanners.com; or through postal mail to Miss Manners, Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I am a female student, and I have a situation where a male classmate inappropriately chimes in on personal conversations. For example, I was asking my friends about a type of bra, and later that day, this classmate followed me to my car and gave me a tutorial about bras.

The crazy thing is he didn’t seem to notice that I was very uncomfortable. So I didn’t say or do anything about that situation, and now today, he chimed in again. I was talking with my teacher about severe cramps and vaginal pain, and he jumped in the conversation to explain why it’s happening.

I need to know how to tell this person he’s being inappropriate and needs to stop. He does these things to other people, as well, and none of us know how to handle it.

GENTLE READER: The fact that he is following you to your car is more concerning to Miss Manners than his choice of subject. She recommends you focus on that needing to stop and avoid the trap of telling him that women do not wish to hear a man’s opinion on women things. Of course it is irksome, but would it not be worse to have him explain to you how you would feel if the situation were reversed?

Better to have your personal conversations out of his earshot -- but not before pointing out that a man ought to know better than to follow a woman to her car.

DEAR MISS MANNERS: A director at my place of work sent out a system-wide email inviting everyone to a baby shower for her daughter, who does not work here, never has, and no one here knows her, except by name.

The shower is scheduled for two hours, during work, in one of the rooms at my place of employment. Many of us are baffled by, first of all, the use of the company-wide email system (that very few people have access to) for such a strange invitation, and second, the fact that she somehow thinks this is appropriate.

On occasion, we have had departments host brief showers for people who do work here, but have never done so for grandparents, aunts, etc. Making people further uncomfortable is that, because of her position, she has influence over many of us.

Are we overreacting? Should we attend this event to protect our jobs, or should we politely decline due to our workload and hope she realizes how tacky this all is? To the best of my knowledge, management hasn’t said anything to her, because she acts as if everything is perfectly fine.

GENTLE READER: This is a wild overreach on the director’s part and an abuse of both the facilities and the people who report to her.

But before you go tattling on her to management (which is indeed tempting and warranted), Miss Manners suggests you bring it up to her delicately -- asking if there might be a better place to hold the event that does not utilize company resources or involve people her daughter doesn’t know. If your colleague balks, then you may consider going to HR or management. They probably already have a rule in place that guards against such practices.

(Please send your questions to Miss Manners at her website, www.missmanners.com; to her email, gentlereader@missmanners.com; or through postal mail to Miss Manners, Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I live in a large city, and used to enjoy going out to lunch or dinner with friends. However, the loud music combined with the lack of sound-absorbing materials in restaurants have made dining out a stressful event.

It has become almost impossible to converse in a normal tone of voice. As we age, many of us wear hearing aids. It is difficult to distinguish words in a background of noise. Many young people also complain about the decibel level.

We often ask the waitstaff if the volume can be lowered, but to no avail. (If we are the only people in the restaurant, the volume might be lowered, but as soon as another party enters, the volume is pumped up again.)

No wonder people have lost the ability to converse! What can we do, other than staying home and getting takeout delivered?

GENTLE READER: You are more likely to enjoy your evening out if you choose a restaurant by decibel level, just as you would select a type of cuisine, such as Moroccan or Sichuan.

Miss Manners suggests that you call ahead and explain that you are looking for a quiet restaurant.

No restaurateur wants an unhappy customer, so they are unlikely to mislead you, and your call might make them wonder if they should be turning down the volume.

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I am an RN, and I spent most of my 30-year career working at a community hospital near my home. It didn’t have the greatest reputation, but it had some great doctors and nurses, and I was proud of the work we did.

When asked, I tell people where I worked, and am often met with, “Oh, I would never go to that hospital” or “I hate that hospital.” (This also happened while I was still working there!)

I am at a loss as to how to respond to these rude people. Usually, I just ignore the ignorant comment, but sometimes, I’d like to have a comeback ready that would make them aware how hurtful and thoughtless they are. Any ideas?

GENTLE READER: Tell them you are sorry they had a bad experience -- or whatever they are relating about the hospital. Miss Manners fears that you may be in for a long story.

Then mention that you worked with some very dedicated professionals, but do not know the current situation. And change the subject.

Please, however, note Miss Manners’ full answer. You asked how to make them realize they were rude and feel bad about it. She did that -- and possibly also got them to rethink their opinion of the hospital.

You neglected to ask how to do this without starting an argument or convincing the questioner that you are just as bad as the hospital. Which is what would have happened, had you contradicted them without giving them an out, or by glaring at them and letting the conversation grind to a halt.

(Please send your questions to Miss Manners at her website, www.missmanners.com; to her email, gentlereader@missmanners.com; or through postal mail to Miss Manners, Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)