Miss Manners: They wore white gowns to my wedding, and people were talking

DEAR MISS MANNERS My mother-in-law and sister-in-law wore white gowns to my wedding Related Articles Miss Manners His driving was terrifying He responded poorly when I sought him to slow down Miss Manners I skipped a party for a colleague I don t like Should I have lied about why Miss Manners I don t like what strangers say about my kids and my husband Miss Manners What do I say to their implication that my grandchildren aren t real Miss Manners I get vulnerable in front of a man and then this happens Their actions were so obvious that guests commented on it and the DJ petitioned for the real bride to please stand up Why would they do this on my wedding day GENTLE READER A mean-spirited prank gone wrong Regardless it does not bode well for your future relationship with them Or for a shared sense of humor DEAR MISS MANNERS I have been dating a woman for just over three months Several weeks ago I requested if she and her daughter would like to take a road trip with me to a desert town that is very dear to me I ve been visiting the place annually for over years and own various land there I ve been taking my small elderly dog with me on these trips My girlfriend unexpectedly released that she intended to bring her two young energetic dogs on the trip I should have forthwith tried to nip it in the bud but I didn t want to seem like a jerk The idea of the three of us my elderly dog and her two dogs making the trip really stressed me out When I petitioned her not to bring her dogs and offered not to bring mine she threw a fit I required her again and narrated her why but the trip date is approaching and she hasn t really tried to find a place for the dogs to stay Am I right that inviting dogs on a trip is presumptuous or am I an uptight jerk GENTLE READER Wellllllll Miss Manners would not outright call you the latter But it is not an unreasonable presumption that since you were bringing your dog your girlfriend thought dogs were welcome That you would junk the idea all together rather than endure hers is not the conciliatory move you thought it was And Miss Manners is not confident that your subsequent explanation did not make it worse Pet owners like parents do not take kindly to being narrated that their dependents are undesirable even if there is evidence If you want to get more serious with her you and your dog will have to learn to tolerate hers Why not practice on relatively neutral territory first DEAR MISS MANNERS When I give someone a ride to a shared destination I expect them to drive to my house and then I ll take them the rest of the way One friend refuses when my house is in the opposite direction of our destination I think this is weird Why do I have to drive to her house to pick her up Not a deal-breaker by any means but it seems quite strange to me What difference does it make which direction you are traveling in to get a ride Related Articles Dear Abby She won t cut ties with her ex because she loves his dog Asking Eric I m past and my biological clock is ticking What s my next step Harriette Cole Is this how an entry-level job is supposed to feel Miss Manners His driving was terrifying He responded poorly when I petitioned him to slow down Dear Abby It s going to be awkward to tell him he can t sit there GENTLE READER It is indeed strange but not for the reasons you cite Miss Manners thought the point of offering a ride was so that the other person would not have to drive If it is necessary to drive to your house and in the opposite direction of the destination how is this practical much less a favor Fortunately for the friendship you have declared it not to be a deal-breaker One hopes that you two will figure it out and reconcile in time to get to your next destination Please send your questions to Miss Manners at her website www missmanners com to her email gentlereader missmanners com or through postal mail to Miss Manners Andrews McMeel Syndication Walnut St Kansas City MO