Evening star., 1962-07-15
MODERN MANNERS.
Side by Side
Can Be Touchy
By CAROLYN HAoNER SHAW

An irate lady wrote me q
letter in which she asked some
excellent questions with re-
gard to how to get along
with your next door neigh
bors. Particularly during the
summer months, unpleasant
situations can arise.
I'll break it down to just
the questions themselves, as
she gave them. Il might add
] am IN complete agreement
with all her comments for I
too live in a row house.)
Question: why is it peo-
pie are so thoughtless when
it comes to cooking on out
door grills? How can you say
so without starting a fight?"'
Answer: Due to the fact
that windows are open dur
ing this time of year. it is a
mighty unkind neighbor who
does not place his grill in such
a position in his yard so that
the smoke will not blow into
the houses on either side.
Nothing is more unpleasant
than to spend an evening be-
ing smoked out of your own
.homel Those neighbors who
don't do all they can to avoid
this happening, undoubtedly
would be the first ones to
squawk If you returned in
kind. Be tactful and quietly
say something next day to
the lady of the house. asking
that an effort be made to
avoid this unpleasantness.
Tip: Don't say anything while
it is actually taking place.
The smoke I mean. That is
no time to tackle the man
who is hot, sticky and in all
probability covered with
charcoal. You'll be sure to
get that fight of which you
spoke If you follow this tactic!
Question: what to do with
the neighbor who doesn't give
a hang how his property
looks? You make every ef-
fort, as do most of those in
the block, to keep the grounds
around the house in nice con-
dition by keeping the grass
cut, flowers weeded, etc. 1t
is downright discouraging to
be faced all the time by
scraggly, tall grass and weeds
and what have you right
along side you"
Answer: It is tougher to be
frank in this case. The
neighbor may flare back at
you, chiefly because he has a
guilty conscience because the
condition Of his yard is a
dead give away that he is
Just plain lazy. Ltterbugs are
always with us, and these
same folks Just don't seem to
recognize how unsightly un-
cut grass, broken toys and
garbage pals lying around,
can be. They either just don't
see it, or as I say, are too
lazy to do anything about it.
Be as courteous as you can,
but firm in your request. If
nothing but nastiness is the
result, call the sanitation de-
partment and complain. This
won't hurt your relationship
with the guilty neighbor. It's
far from friendly anyway!
Question: How can you
ask any who are guilty Of the
following bad habitS-to de-
sist? The one who runs his
electric mower, or hand grass
cutter at seven o'clock on a
Sunday morning: those who
allow their active and loud
children to run loose at the
same hour: those who turn
their TV sets, radios and Hi
Fl to top volume at all hours
Of the day and night; the de-
parting guests who upon
leaving at l am, do so with
shrieked goodbyes and honk-
ing Of horns?"
Answer: These all come
under the same heading as
the others. When people live
side-by-each, consideration
and thoughtfulness for the
other is a must. Otherwise
= life will be miserable for all
concerned. Frankness and
tact is all that you can lean
on. Just be sure of one
/. thing. That you, yourself,
are never guilty Of Offend
(. ing likewise!