Advertisement Q: My partner and I have a great friendship with a neighbourhood couple. We have dinner together every few weeks and attend one another’s birthday parties. But he – one half of the couple – won’t stop touching me. It’s innocent – a pat on the bare shoulder; a kiss of greeting on the lips – but it’s annoying. How do I tell him to back off without hurting his feelings? A.F., North Carlton, Vic Credit: A: Some people can’t help touching others: they’re the Touchy Muchies. They’re just hyper-affectionate, tactile types who feel compelled to touch friends, strangers, men, women, old people, young people, a hobo living in an open sewer. It’s innocent, non-sexual and a little unhygienic if they’ve had a busy, hobo-touching day.