Friday, May 23, 2008

Chatter, beware.

As a frequent traveller, I’ve had my share of aggressive co-passengers intent on starting a conversation and hell-bent on ruining my sleep. Not that I am particularly unsociable or hostile, but there are times when a man just wants to be left alone.

How does one stop the nuisance without appearing too rude or impolite?

Charlie Brooker, a columnist in The Guardian, who had a similar misfortune of being driven back home by a garrulous taxi-driver, recalls a passage from a book he had read once and which might just do the trick :

“Turn to your unwanted companion at the first opportunity, and explain to him or her that you have a condition which makes you sleep with your eyes open. It's harmless, you say, but it can be quite creepy - so you're taking the opportunity to warn them in advance so they don't freak out later. Then you sit back in your chair and silently wait a while. After about 10 minutes, slowly loll your head sideways toward them, keeping your eyes wide open the whole time, and stay there, staring at the side of their face, for as long as possible. They'll be far too weirded out to utter a word”

I will try this out next time.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Can't you just sleep with your eyes closed and ignore them? But you're right, where's the fun in that ? ;)

Raj said...

Lekhni,have you tried ignoring them? Doesn't work. Try above method.

Usha said...

Try it on your next voyage and tell us what happened. This is too hilarious.