Q: If you’re at the beach by yourself and realize you forgot to bring sunscreen, is it OK to ask a stranger if you can borrow it? Someone did this to me the other day. I said fine, but I thought it was really odd, like using a stranger’s makeup. A: I think it’s odd, too. Most popular beaches have a little hut that sells sunscreen for beachgoers who forget or run out of their own. Sure, it will probably cost $25 for a 4-ounce bottle of generic SPF 8, but if you didn’t plan ahead, tough cookies.
However, if you’re on a beach in the middle of nowhere, there’s no overpriced souvenir shop and you’re about to burn to a crisp, then your only option is to ask to borrow someone’s sunscreen. Profusely thank that person, who’s literally saving your skin.
Whatever you do, don’t ask a stranger to apply sunscreen for you. That’s just creepy. (And according to TripAdvisor’s annual survey of beach and pool etiquette, 79 percent of travelers agree with me.
Q: I’m on a monthlong business trip and am staying at a hotel that has kitchenettes in the rooms. A neighbor down the hall makes the most ghastly smelling food every single night — think fish and absolutely overpowering onions. Isn’t that rude? I wouldn’t dream of cooking anything smelly in my room.
A: You’re right. If you have a hotel-room kitchenette, by all means use it, but stick to meals that aren’t terribly fragrant. And always use the kitchen fan or vent if you have one. If your neighbor’s smelly cooking is a persistent problem and you’re staying for a month, I’d even mention it to the management. Perhaps they can move him to a less-crowded part of the hotel where his cooking won’t bother people.
Q: The woman sitting in front of me on a recent flight had extremely long hair. She piled it on top of her head at one point, and some of it fell over the back of the chair. It was hanging down onto my tray table, blocking my view of my laptop screen. I said, “excuse me” a few times, to no avail, and finally had to tap her on the shoulder and ask her to move her hair. She was grumpy about my request. Shouldn’t you keep your hair in your own space?
A: Absolutely. But at least her hair landed on your laptop instead of your dinner.
