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.
