Nothing about our conversation could have possibly interested them, and yet, a young man at the table said, “Shh! Shh! Listen! Listen! Listen!”
DEAR MISS MANNERS: My friend and I had tickets for a show, and we thought we had allowed enough time beforehand -- nearly two hours -- to eat dinner at one of the casual restaurants near the theater. However, although it was a weeknight, every eatery nearby was packed. We waited at one establishment for 20 minutes until there was a table available.
My friend’s back was to the other table, so he could not see them, but these people began snickering and jabbing each other in the ribs and pointing at us. My friend has a slight Southern accent, but other than that, I cannot imagine why they considered us so amusing. We were clean and neatly dressed. These people were young adults; we are seniors.
I did not have to raise my voice in the ensuing silence. I said, “I wonder why the people at the other table have decided to listen in on our conversation.” After several beats, I added, “Perhaps they cannot think of anything to talk about among themselves.” There was no other table available at that restaurant, and we were too short on time prior to the show to go elsewhere. How should I have handled this?
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