Ewwww.

Dear Miss Manners: At the DMV for an extended wait to renew my license, I was reading my book and eating the sunflower seeds I brought to occupy my time.

Suddenly, a person from the row behind me (a person I had neither seen nor spoken to prior) taps me on the shoulder and says, “Can I have some of those?”

I shook my head, “No.” Frankly I felt that person had “overstepped.”

I seem to be the only one not horrified by my response . . . Was I wrong? Is there no boundary to sharing?

Had I been in a conversation with or sitting next to the person, I might have offered the food on my own. I may have felt more compelled to “share” if asked to do so, but it seemed rude to me for a total stranger to approach me from behind and request some of my food!

Dear Driver,

That is disgusting! I can't believe anyone eats sunflower seeds in public. I'm sure the person - and I'm sure of this - the person was just trying to draw your attention to the fact that you were eating sunflower seeds - in public! It was sarcasm. ... And I love how you call the sunflower seeds "your food." They're seeds, dummy.

Also, let me tell you too about the DMV. When I lived in New York I had to go there. This was years ago. For some reason they wouldn't let me submit my own, professionally taken portrait. Robert Mapplethorpe took it, as a matter of fact! Anyhow, I went in there and there was an enormous line. I just laughed. I thought "You must be kidding me." Why would anyone in their right mind stand in line at a dump like that? It was nasty and it wasn't worth it. I thought to myself, "You know, I'm just going to take my chances." And I did. I thought - if I get caught - I'll just get out of it. But I never did get caught. I'd even thought of what I would say to the police man who would pull me over: That my father owns Italian race cars! He did at the time, too. To me it says "He must know a thing or two about cars." Which I don't. But I would think that it qualify me to drive a small Porsche from here to there.

Anyhow. That's how I avoided the DMV. It might be worth it to take your chances and just not go. And now I'm extra glad I did. I cannot imagine standing next to someone for over an hour while they stood there and chomped up and down on sunflower seeds! It sounds like a true, living, nightmare!