Dear Urban Diplomat: was I wrong to show my new doctor neighbour my rash?

Dear Urban Diplomat,
My husband and I just moved to the Beach. We had our neighbours over—he’s a banker, she’s a family doctor—and after a few lycheetinis I pulled her aside to show her a crazy rash on my upper thigh that’s got me worried. She dodged my questions, then suddenly they had to leave. I’m a bit embarrassed, but also annoyed: what are neighbours for if you can’t help each other out?

—Rash Decision, The Beach

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Do you also invite the local mechanic over for cheese, crackers and a tune-up? Let’s take stock of all the wrong things you did. You asked her to do something for free that she’s normally paid to do. You exposed her to your potentially contagious skin infection. You flashed your upper thigh, a part of the anatomy best kept under wraps until at least the ninth or 10th lycheetini. You also asked her to make a diagnosis without knowing your medical history or anything else that might give her a reasonable chance to help, if she were drunk enough or kind enough to want to. Had it been an emergency, I could understand you asking for her help, but this was clearly not the case. In short, yes, neighbours should help each other, but the requests should be appropriate (think a cup of sugar, Skilsaw or snow shovel) and unrelated to one’s profession—not to mention groin.

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