The Art Of Staying Home While The Whole Street Parties: Block Talk

The annual block party is coming up, and the pressure is on up and down the street to make this year’s gathering the best in the neighborhood — maybe even win some sort of prize.

You’ve been asked to haul your own chairs and possibly even a table to the middle of the block, bring some meat to grill and a side dish to share.

The problem is, that’s too much people-ing for you. Or maybe you just don’t like them. Or you’re worried about the mayonnaise salads going bad and others’ attention to food safety. It’s been that kind of summer.

And then there are the heavy barricades at both ends of the block, effectively trapping anyone who doesn’t want to participate. Sure, someone will move them so you can drive through, but that means calling attention to the fact that you’d rather be anywhere else.

So you’re more or less trapped in your house. Even using the time to catch up on yard work risks an encounter with some neighbor who can’t read people and wants to know why you’re being such a snob when all you really want is to be left alone to live your life.

So, what do you do?

Is it rude to decline a neighborhood block party or community gathering? What’s the best way to bow out without offending your neighbors — or inviting a whole conversation about why you’re not coming?

We’re asking for Block Talk, Patch’s exclusive neighborhood etiquette column. Just fill out the survey below, and as always, we don’t collect email addresses.

About Block Talk

Block Talk is an exclusive Patch series on neighborhood etiquette — and readers provide the answers. If you have a topic you’d like us to consider, email beth.dalbey@patch.com with “Block Talk” as the subject line.

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