You're right, Wants, it IS rude, but having experienced the in-laws for 20 years, I know there is no way to leave and feel good about yourself. They don't even hear what the wife has to say, ignore her, and don't acknowledge her. They take over when the come to visit, and I suspect this was Pam's way of dealing with it. She's a big ol' country girl who swears like a sailor, smokes though the inlaws disapprove, and doesn't give a %#@&#!. How my ex, who is so uptight and controlling chose to marry her, is beyond my comprehension.
Patty