Chatting or Silence: Which do you prefer?

[inkkognito]

Our trip to Orlando last weekend piqued my curiosity. Just wondering what the majority thinks!
On that trip, hubby and I were seated in the same row, but across the aisle from each other (we wanted an exit row, so we took what we could get). I was seated next to a couple, and the woman initiated a conversation & we ended up chatting for a good portion of the flight. Since we travel to Orlando almost every month, it got me to thinking. Often we're in a row of our own (we try to get the two-across exit row or window & aisle, which means the middle is often empty), but sometimes we have a seat mate. Usually they are quiet, but sometimes they are very chatty. I don't mind either way, and neither does hubby. We bring handheld games, CD players, and books, so we have plenty of items for amusement. But if we are sitting by someone talkative, we go along.
On cruises, I know that many people prefer a table alone (with only their own family) rather than sharing with strangers because it makes them uncomfortable. Is the same generally true of airplanes? Do you have a preference for a talkative vs. a quiet seatmate? I;d love to see what everyone thinks!
Barb
Visit the Platinum Castaway Club at: www.castawayclub.com

 

[Laura24]

OK Barb....
I'll chime in on this. For me it depends on the time of the day and topic. I am not fully functional on morning flights, so quiet time is what I prefer. Afternoon flight...*shared* conversation OK, but come up for air. Evening flight....winding down time, don't try to hold my attention very long. Here's a definite clue to the type of seat mate you may have- reading material, laptop, headset or any such item on their lap is a clue.....they prefer quiet time. I will make one exception for any time of the day.......any conversation having to do with DISNEY ) is fine with me!!!!

 

[ncligs]

"Quiet".....I like to read

on the plane.

 

[Aisling]

I like conversation, but not on a plane because we're practically sitting on top of each other and it's awkward to have someone's face (a stranger) so close to me. So I'd rather put on my walkman and be in my own little world.
But in a restaurant, I'd rather have a table with other families, just to make things interesting. Talking to someone across the table is more comfortable than right next to me on a plane.

 

[Luckymommyx2]

Good question Barb! You really having me thinking on this one. I would have to say it depends on my mood and how comfortable I feel with the person beside me. I do enjoy reading and listening to my headset. (I always see what radio stations I can get and for how long! LOL!) I don't think I would want to talk the entire time because I reserve some time to zone out and get ready for the excitement. On the cruise I would definitely be up for conversation with tablemates.

 

[CaliforniaDreaming]

Since most of our flights are enroute to/from Orlando, if someone wants to talk Disney with me, I'm open for conversation. Otherwise, I'll go for quiet.

 

[kayeandjim00]

Definitley quiet time! I also like reading or listening to cds on the plane and I feel a little uncomfortable stopping the conversation to do either of those. But I have to agree with some of the others if someone wanted to talk about Disney with me that would be OK!

 

[Timon]

I'm not a chatty person! But hubby is the kind of guy who will spill his life story at the supermarket checkout! You know the type!
So when we fly I ALWAYS make sure that I get the window seat and he takes the middle seat. Usually by the time we land, he's swapped business cards, e-mail adresses and has a new friend

On one of our trips to Orlando, Calgary to Dallas I believe, he met a fellow engineer and they talked NON-STOP to Dallas! After 3.5 hours, I said "Excuse me, I don't mean to interrupt you two, but we are about to land and I was just wondering if my husband will still be joining me in Disney World or if he plans on staying with you in Dallas?" LOL The guy got the joke but hubby looked at me funny and said "Of course I am going to WDW!!!!" HAHAHA

 

[HunnyPots]

"I'm not a chatty person! But hubby is the kind of guy who will spill his life story at the supermarket checkout! You know the type! "

I sure do! I'm married to one, too! My dh makes friends everywhere he goes, while I try my best to be invisable. My kids, 12 and 15, get so embarassed whenever dad launches into conversations with total strangers

I prefer quiet seatmates on planes, busses, and just about anywhere else. When my mother said, "Don't talk to strangers" it stuck with me for life!

 

[Luv2Roam]

Depends on my mood and the subject.
If it's an early morning flight, I prefer quiet. My brain is still asleep.

 

[Poly Pal]

UGH! There was a woman on our flight from Tampa to Hartford that would NOT shut-up! I was sitting across the aisle and a row back, but even before the plane pushed back from the gate I knew that she:

- was a teacher from Watertown, CT,
- had applied for a teaching position in another town but had not told her boss,
- had a boyfriend who would not make the trip with her,
- had a mother who had to work last week and could not make the trip either,
- had stayed at a cheap motel on Treasure Island and then drove to a nicer, beachfront resort to use the pool!!! "Oh, I just valet parked everyday and made up a room number. So I didn't even have to pay for parking!" I commented to my wife who was sitting directly behind this woman, "So she's a teacher AND a thief, great example for the kids in Watertown."

Oh, I forgot, I like it quiet.

 

[BrianBWV]

Not a problem here in New York City, where talking to a stranger carries a mandatory prison sentence.

 

[KNWVIKING]

Depends on who she is and what she's wearing.

 

[Buckaroo's Dad]

I'll opt for quiet since I am never thrilled about flying.

The first time I took my son to WDW he was 4. He knew Daddy didn't like to fly. On the return trip home, he was looking out the window as I was working a Dell crossword puzzle (it helps keep the laws of physics intact). My son looked over at me and smiled. "Don't worry, Daddy," he said in a not-so-hushed voice, "Look out the window. The wing is still on the plane!"

 

[Buckaroo's Dad]

Good morning, Poly Pal!

There was a woman on our flight from Tampa to Hartford that would NOT shut-up!

Just think, the bra and panties might even be hers...

 

[NotUrsula]

On our last flight home from MCO, we were on SWA at the very back of the plane. (We had taken the facing seats.)

Across the aisle, there was a man who was seated in the last row on the aisle, and a woman (who I remember looked very much like Julie Haggerty, w/ really LONG blond hair) seated in front of him at the window. It was an evening flight, and since there were a few empty seats, the FA's asked the man if he would mind moving up so that they could have that back row to eat their dinners on an actual tray table. He moved one up, and that was when the nightmare started ...

The man decided to hit on the woman, so first we got to hear his really original come-on lines. Unfortunately, she had just broken up with her longtime boyfriend, and mistaking this guy's pass for genuine interest, she proceeded to give him the gory details of every rotten thing her ex had ever done over the course of the last 10 years. We (and our 4 yo) heard all about the quality of her sex life, or lack thereof; his gambling, her problems with being harassed by her boss, her medical problems, and yada, yada, yada. I really didn't need to know those things about total strangers.

So, I'll chat about your vacation, the weather, movies you have seen lately, your work (if the other person is in the same field), even politics if you can be civil about it, but I don't want to be involved in any conversations about dating woes, medical problems, spending habits, or the state of anyone's marriage.

 

[cinmell]

Well I'm not very talkative so I prefer quiet. My husband and I are almost always seated next to eachother and last trip our daughter was with us so we had the whole row. We generally bring walkman and game boys to keep busy. We're not the type to strike up a conversation.

 

[inkkognito]

Thanks for the answers, eveyone! It was really interesting to see all the opinions. I should have known that when Disney is the topic, almost anyone will chat
Speaking of topics, I am a paranoid flyer so it was rather ironic that part of the conversation I had with the woman on our last flight was about two emergency situations she had been in. We were in the exit row, and the flight attendant mentioned that the door has a ramp which will deploy automatically when opened. My seat mate told me about her experience in a prop plane that had an engine fire. It was able to land safely, but the passengers had to leave via the emergency exits, and there was no ramp. They had to jump down, and many of them wanted no part of it! She was also on a jet on which the passengers had to assume the emergency landing position as a precaution (I think it was weather related). But as paranoid as I am, her experiences actually comforted me. I figured that if she'd already had to bad flights, she was definitely due for an uneventful one!
Barb
Visit the Platinum Castaway Club at: www.castawayclub.com

 

[NomadFamily]

I think I typically prefer not to chat. I am pretty busy at work and with my kids all the time. When I am on a place it is the one time when I feel like I can "zone out". My cell phone doesn't work so I don't have to take any calls and I usually just want to enjoy what I so rarely get...peace! But, if the person starts a casual conversation that isn't TOO long then I'm okay. I would not want to talk through the entire ride, though.

This reminds me of last year's trip to St. thomas with my mother and my 2 children. My mom wa several rows behind me and my 4 year old daughter. She was by the window with an empty seat next to her and a man on the aisle. My daughter begged to go sit with nana to play a game of Old Maid. I took her back to let her sit in the empty seat for a little bit. The man had a fit and said he didn't want a child next to him. He was loud and rude and my daughter started to cry since she really wanted Nana. I was so peeved that I plopped her right into the seat next to him and went back to the bathroom to cool off. When I was coming back up the aisle he was still complaining and nana and my dd were playing their card game. As I walked by he said "I am on vacation and DO NOT want to be around kids so please take her". Well, he picked the wrong day bcus I spent a heck of a lot of money for MY vacation and he was not going to ruin it. I smiled (I am good at smiling in the face of adversity...I am a salesperson) and asked him IF he BOUGHT TWO seats.....he said no......I told him that he should have! Then I asked him why he was getting himself so fired up while on vacation...why not go with the flow.....the whole plane was quiet while everyone watched to see what would happen. I asked him where he was going, staying, how long.......before you know it he was chatting away. We talked and laughed and I went back to my seat. After about an hour I decided to go get my daughter and be fair. When I got back there guess who was playing OLD MAID!! HIM!! When the flight landed and we were all waiting to get off and people were standing nad gettign their luggage from the overhead he stood up and got my moms luggage for her and yelled up to me "see, I'm not such a bad guy after all" and the entie plane started to clap. it was really a great beginning to a great vacation and showed how being nice can really turn people's moods around.

Just wanted to share that funny story!

 

[seashoreCM]

If you would rather keep to yourself but the person next to you wants to talk to you, invest a few minutes and quickly steer the conversation to topics you like. This often gets him to quiet down.

Disney hints:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/disney.htm