DEAR ABBY: I walk with a cane and have difficulty standing since I had a bad accident. Our building has a laundry facility for all. I went to put my laundry in. There are two medium-sized washers. One had finished. The empty one rejected my laundry card, so I emptied the other person's laundry into a cart.

The new neighbor returned and was upset that I "touched his laundry and didn't wait for him." When he demanded an apology, I said, "Write a note to the board." I don't feel obligated to teach a grown, able-bodied man what entitlement is. Your thoughts? -- IN THE WASH IN NEW YORK

DEAR IN THE WASH: Your neighbor is territorial about his things. Some folks are. Although he returned in a reasonable amount of time, you had no idea how long he would be and, because the other washer wasn't working, you had every right to do what you did. You might have cooled this standoff by giving him the apology he asked for. YOU should write a note to the board, informing them that one of the machines in the laundry room needs servicing.

Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at www.DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.