DEAR HARRIETTE: I often go to fast-food restaurants for lunch. It is quick, affordable and delicious, at least the place that I go to. I usually go by myself because I have only a short time for my lunch break at work.
Is it when rude to relocate yourself if a group of loud strangers seats themselves directly next to you? For example, I usually get a burrito for lunch and sit at the bar. A group of a dozen teenagers will decide to set up camp directly behind me, even though there are many open tables in this space. Could I move because I have good reason to want to enjoy my lunch in peace? -- Alone Time, Phoenix
DEAR ALONE TIME: You have every right to eat in peace, even in a fast-food restaurant. Of course you can get up and move if a group of noisy diners sits next to you. Don’t give it a second thought. Also, be mindful not to judge them. They are enjoying themselves as well. Since you are not dining in a quiet restaurant, you cannot expect silence. You can distance yourself from loud diners, but do so with a smile on your face.