Whether you want to share a table at a busy coffee shop, cut in line at the grocery store, or save a friend's place in a long queue, the way you make your request is key. "There's no harm in asking in a way that's not presumptuous, that gives people a tactful way to say no," ethics columnist Randy Cohen says. "It's not so much the script as the performance. The tone of voice, the quality of the smile. A way of saying, 'Would you mind if I sat down at this table?' that doesn't make people feel trapped."