Q. This may sound ridiculous but I have an issue with the Big Issue seller near me. I am in that street several times a day, and he is usually waving and smiling and holding the magazine up at me. He even tried to make me buy a second copy of the Christmas issue, though he knew I had already bought it from him. He said something about wanting to buy his children chicken, which seemed like emotional blackmail. I find I now avoid the street if he is there and go a longer way. I saw a friend’s husband giving him £5 and not bothering to take the mag but this seems patrician and patronising. What can I do?
– E.S., London W11
A. Make a point of buying the magazine in another street and have a chat with that vendor. Then tell your local salesperson that, since you have made a friend with the – for example – Oxford Street representative, from now on you’ll buy exclusively from them.
Q. I recently stayed with an old friend who has moved to an apartment in Lisbon. On one of the evenings there she entertained six other ladies (all expats) from a book club she belongs to, and I met them all for a drink before going out to a separate dinner. They were really nice and friendly, but when the conversation turned to politics I realised I was the only Donald Trump and Elon Musk supporter. I felt it best to keep my own counsel but narrowly avoided being put on the spot. What would you have done if you had been outnumbered in this way and were openly asked for your views?
– A.O.N.,
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