No small problem on plane

Dear Amy: I am 5 foot 3 inches and weigh 112 pounds.

I recently took a flight where the man sitting next to me weighed at least 250 pounds.

There was an armrest between us that I had put down when I sat down, and when he came and sat in his seat next to mine, he put it back up.

This left me very uncomfortable, as I had to lean away from him the whole flight because he had taken up my unused space in my seat.

I paid for my seat and don’t feel that I should be uncomfortable to make someone else more comfortable.

What should I do?

Frustrated Flier

Dear Frustrated: Your options are to ask a flight attendant if you can switch seats (they are often able to accommodate this request after boarding is complete), or to say to your flying companion, “Could we please leave the armrest down during the flight? Thank you.”

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Dear Amy: I am 21, and have been going through a rough “break up” with one of my best friends.

No one seems to understand how this could be so painful for me, so my other friends have little sympathy.

I am still angry, and I feel as if I hate her, but at the same time I really miss her. Amy, because of this and other events in my life I have been in counseling for months and I cry every day.

Should I try to mend the friendship?

If I decide to, how should I go about doing it?

Former Friend

Dear Friend: I understand how painful this sort of “break up” can be -- and it can be all the more painful because a friendship rift is not commonly understood to be as painful as a failed romance.

You are depressed. Use your counseling sessions to talk about this issue. Express your anger and hurt -- and strategize about ways to cope.

Send questions to Amy Dickinson by e-mail to [email protected] or by mail to Ask Amy, Chicago Tribune, TT500, 435 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL 60611.