Why do strangers want to make small talk with me while waiting in grocery checkout lines, at bus stops, at the bank, during flights, etc.? STOP!

In today's Miss Manners column, advice columnist Judith Martin responds to politely avoiding small talk with strangers in public places.

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I am a freelance journalist who has been living, off and on, in a private room at a hostel off the beaten ...

Public charging stations were supposed to make electric driving feel futuristic and easy. Instead, a […] ...

According to a survey last year by Pew Research Center, many Americans believe that public behavior is increasingly rude. Officials who attempt to conduct public meetings likely agree. At a recent ...

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I frequently attend team lunches and dinners with my immediate department members, both supervisors and associates. These dining experiences are mostly personal affairs and come ...

2025 was a volatile year for the market. There were still many opportunities on my radar, some of which I missed badly. It's important to document your mistakes so as to avoid them in the future. 10 ...

DEAR MISS MANNERS: At a company holiday party, one of my colleagues decided not to partake of the wine that was offered. During a round of toasts, she was admonished -- in a good-natured way -- by ...

DEAR MISS MANNERS: One of my friends endlessly plays with the food she does not want to eat, without ever signaling by the position of her cutlery that she has finished. So all of her fellow diners ...

DEAR MISS MANNERS: At a company holiday party, one of my colleagues decided not to partake of the wine that was offered. During a round of toasts, she was admonished — in a good-natured way — by ...

DEAR MISS MANNERS: One of my friends endlessly plays with the food she does not want to eat, without ever signaling by the position of her cutlery that she has finished. So all of her fellow diners ...

DEAR MISS MANNERS: At a company holiday party, one of my colleagues decided not to partake of the wine that was offered. During a round of toasts, she was admonished – in a good-natured way – by ...