While staying at a hotel and sitting by the pool, I asked the attendant to speak to a group of guests who were playing loud music. Later, members of the group pointed at me, which made me feel uncomfortable. Did I handle this appropriately? Should I have spoken to the group myself? —Hotel Guest
You did nothing wrong! The pool attendant’s job is to maintain a communal space that’s enjoyable for everyone. The only problem I see here is that the attendant seems to have told the music-blaring guests that you lodged the complaint, which was unnecessary. They should simply have said that loud music is
—Adapted from “Social Q’s” in The New York Times Magazine