Dear Urban Diplomat: My sister is something of an anti-vaxxer

Dear Urban Diplomat: My sister is something of an anti-vaxxer

Dear Urban Diplomat,
My older sister is something of an anti-vaxxer. It’s always been a source of tension in the family, but lately, things have gotten out of control. She’s already lecturing everyone—including my kids—about the supposed dangers of getting the Covid vaccine. Dealing with kids and needles was hard enough without her two cents. Now my children are starting to question whether they need to be inoculated at all. How should I handle this?
—Auntie-Vaxxer, Etobicoke

From the sounds of it, your sister will always adopt an anti-government, anti-science POV. So I suspect it would be futile to argue the merits of mass vaccination with her. Instead, it’s best to think of this as an encroachment on your parental jurisdiction. Pull your sister aside and explain that while you appreciate her concern, you’ll handle any inoculation education for your children. If she wants to express views that put the people around her at risk, she can always do it at one of those anti-vaxxer rallies.


Dear Urban Diplomat,
My neighbour (a former pro hockey player) and I both have young kids. Desperate to do something outdoorsy this winter, we decided to knock down the fence between our properties and build an ice rink. In the end, I did almost all the work, from flooding the ice to setting up makeshift boards. That would all be okay if the neighbour weren’t now totally hogging the rink, running practice sessions with his kids. My children have barely gotten any ice time (let alone an invite to those private training sessions, which would be nice). What should I do?
—Mr. Ice Guy, the Beaches

I’m guessing your neighbour was the type of player who liked to score goals but never wanted to do any of the dirty work in the corners. For starters, I’d recommend making a Google Doc schedule so that your kids’ ice time becomes slightly more equitable. As for scoring an invite to those training sessions, have you tried simply asking him? Feel free to massage your neighbour’s ego in the process, maybe throw in a quick reference to his “impressive career”—but don’t lay it on too thick. Nobody likes a flatterer with a hidden agenda.


Dear Urban Diplomat,
My brother and I adopted a border collie (Ollie) during Covid. We live down the street from each other, and we were both pretty lonely in the early stages of lockdown. We set a few guidelines beforehand, agreeing to split everything—custody, grooming, walking duties, medical and other expenses—50-50. Sure enough, a few months in, my brother has been shirking his duties. He owes me $400, and Ollie always comes to my place looking forlorn and dishevelled. I don’t have the flexibility to care for a dog full time, so I’m at the end of my tether. Any advice?
—Screwing the Pooch, Cabbagetown

A pet should never suffer because of an owner’s carelessness, and it sounds like your brother is being a lazy mutt. Reiterate the original dog-sharing agreement and tell your brother to clean up his act. If a stern talking-to doesn’t do the trick, try telling your parents about the situation. You might want to get them invested anyway, since they’ll likely be stuck with part-time dogsitting duty if your brother doesn’t step up.


Dear Urban Diplomat,
An old acquaintance from high school sent me a Facebook invite to a private “Covid party” at a ranch outside of town. Apparently a beer pong tournament and a glow-in-the-dark dance party are on the agenda. The crazy thing: there are 300-odd people in the Facebook group, and last I checked, dozens of them had clicked “attending.” How should I approach this?
—Party Foul, Niagara

Purposefully flouting the law during a pandemic is terminally uncool. For that reason alone you should unfriend this “old acquaintance,” who, even years after graduating from high school, seems to be in a state of arrested development. But given the severity of the situation, there’s no time for mucking about: I’d suggest calling 311 and reporting this shindig to the Covid non-compliance line. You’ll be the most heroic party pooper in history.


Dear Urban Diplomat,
I’m a 21-year-old university student and I’ve been making deliveries for a mom-and-pop restaurant to earn some cash. There’s one customer in the neighbourhood—let’s call him Larry—who orders from us a couple of times a week and seems to think that 50¢ makes for an adequate tip. At this point, I’m worried I might do something irrational if he continues to skimp. Thoughts?
—Tipping Point, Scarborough

Before your next delivery, take a deep breath. Losing it on Larry’s doorstep will not only make you seem unhinged, it might cost your employer a regular customer. Unfortunately, there’s probably nothing you can do to unlock Larry’s largesse. Confronting him would be both awkward and counterproductive. Just suck it up, keep working hard in school and remember this (hopefully) isn’t a forever job.