Interpersonal Skills Stack Exchange
Interpersonal Skills Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [requests]

This tag is for questions about making requests to other people, be it about information, a favor, or a task. Don't use this tag for requests for the Interpersonal Skills site itself - post those on meta instead.

This tag is for questions about making requests to other people, be it about information, a favor, or a task. Don't use this tag for requests for the Interpersonal Skills site itself - post those on meta instead.

69 questions
125
votes
8 answers

Requesting someone to give up their seat to me on public transport if I have an invisible disability?

I have an invisible disability. I do not really want to disclose what it is, but I have trouble standing up on public transport for longer than a few minutes. I would like to sit down. Now, the bus/tram/train is full. I’m a young adult, barely out…
Belle
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56
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8 answers

How can I more clearly ask people to accommodate for my autism?

I've got autism. This isn't always clear to people*. Sometimes I need accommodations for a sensory issue to participate in a normal way. One time, there was a colleague with a strong aftershave, for example, who needed my help. Sometimes these…
Belle
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56
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13 answers

How can I ask (or determine) if someone on the phone is human without offending them?

I recently saw a doctor about a minor medical problem. This is the first time I saw this doctor . After the appointment I asked my doctor a follow-up question via my insurance company's website. I got a call back from the doctor but during the…
Cave Johnson
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54
votes
9 answers

How can I ask a new date to not smoke around me?

I can't stand smoking, like, at all. I get repulsed by someone's smoking nearby or coming close to me after smoking. It's purely due to the smell, which I find about on par with eating foods I hate the most, if not worse, and ends up consuming a…
NotThatGuy
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47
votes
4 answers

How to ask someone to not leave their pee on the floor when they use my bathroom?

I have a male nurse who comes to my house every so often to give me medication and observe me all day for any reactions. When he is here, he leaves pee puddles on the floor in front of the toilet (this is obviously urine - it is yellow). Due to my…
Winder
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46
votes
4 answers

How to politely request we don't eat out for lunch on my first day at new job?

Tomorrow I start work as a software developer -- my first full time job. Four of my close friends work at the same company. They usually eat lunch in the break room, but for everyone's interviews and first days they've gone out to eat. We went out…
StarSweeper
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45
votes
4 answers

A coworker mumbles to herself when working. How can I ask her to stop?

My coworker, who sits right next to me, keeps mumbling to herself when she types or reads. It is a not-too loud, low-voice mumble that I can hear without understanding words. It really irritates me and disturbs me from my own thinking, but I do not…
YohanRoth
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41
votes
7 answers

How can I ask my parents to stop calling me when I'm out or ask me where I'm going?

I'm 24 years old, have my own career, my own car but I live with my parents and my 2 younger brothers. I live my life quite independently. One of the problems I constantly face from my parents is them treating me like a child by constantly asking me…
user3574492
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29
votes
3 answers

Classmate is being deported - how could I politely offer to buy their furniture?

My classmate is being deported from the U.S. due to visa issues and has no intentions of returning in the coming years - they plan to join a lab at university in their home country. They're really upset about having to leave and are easily angered…
Meghan
27
votes
3 answers

How can I respond to "It's because I'm " as a rebuttal to a request?

Occasionally I hear or encounter "it's because I'm " as a response to an objectionable request to the claimant. The claimant is usually a minor who in my experience is 1.) Not very respectful in general and 2.) Not…
Sidney
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26
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5 answers

Asking my friend out even though I have a girlfriend

I am a 20 years old male from Canada. I have been with my girlfriend (also 20 years old) for about three months. When we started being in a relationship, we agreed that it was an exclusive one because I value her being faithful, but she insisted…
OfficialQueensbridgeMurderers
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23
votes
8 answers

How do I politely tell a stranger to stop making annoying noises I can't name?

Background I've encountered this problem several times and under different circumstances. It really annoys me when people constantly make noises with their mouth. Now, I can't name them and they come in different shapes and forms, e. g. different…
Anne Daunted GoFundMonica
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23
votes
6 answers

How can I ask someone I've never met to type quieter?

I'm working in a co-working space, and today a new guy is working at the same table as me. His typing (on his laptop) is quite intense, which makes a lot of noise. In addition, the table is not too stable and shakes when he types. The keyboard he's…
HenricF
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21
votes
9 answers

How do I ask my friend for some of his water on a long bicycle ride without offending him?

When I ride my bicycle I often drink a lot of water because I get thirsty and like to keep hydrated, my bicycle can only fit a single bottle holder because the front derailleur is mounted in such a way to prohibit a second bottle cage from being…
teslajin
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20
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4 answers

How to ask 'why?' without implying I'm asking them to justify themselves?

So, as part of my job, I sometimes get requirements from users without any context. This context can be useful for reasons above and beyond justifying the requirement itself. These come from fellow employees providing requirements for application…
Sarov
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