Talking nonstop on a flight rude?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am with the poster that said noise canceling headphones. Certain things is a must when you are going on a flight; a water bottle (for those delays of exiting the plane or take off and the cabin can get extremely hot), tylenol, noise canceling headphones, a hoodie

Also a sleep mask. People are allowed to have their lights on or the window shade up if they are in the window seat, and you don’t get to control it. But you can block it out with a mask.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:That’s what noise canceling headphones are for

Noise canceling headphones are a game changer on flights

[Anonymous]

I am always stunned that the DCUM response to people being rude is "they can do whatever they want, you have to plan for that." Classic example is the people who shine spotlights into other people's homes at night in the name of "security." DCUM says "Get blackout curtains" rather than the obvious answer: "shot the lights out."

OP, talking on a plane is not illegal, but it's asinine. I once turned around and told a woman to please be quiet, because she had been asking her kid "do you want this or that" questions for almost an hour, and the kid never responded to any of them. I said, "Your kid is fine. She doesn't want apples or goldfish, she doesn't want to read Care Bear or Paw Patrol, she doesn't want to put on her sweater or take off her shoes. She's fine. Please, let her -- and all of us -- be. Shut. Up."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Nope. Not rude. Rude if she’s talking to you, sure, but no different than had she been talking to a friend sitting next to her for the entire flight. There’s no “quiet car” on airplanes.

I agree with this, unless it's a redeye. Talking all night on a redeye is rude. But on any non-overnight flight, it's fine if that's how people want to pass the time. My family and I are quiet travelers -- we might chat occasionally but mostly we read, watch movies, or nap. But I've sat near plenty of talkers and it's never bothered me. Generally I plunk on my noise canceling headphones and ignore.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am always stunned that the DCUM response to people being rude is "they can do whatever they want, you have to plan for that." Classic example is the people who shine spotlights into other people's homes at night in the name of "security." DCUM says "Get blackout curtains" rather than the obvious answer: "shot the lights out."

OP, talking on a plane is not illegal, but it's asinine. I once turned around and told a woman to please be quiet, because she had been asking her kid "do you want this or that" questions for almost an hour, and the kid never responded to any of them. I said, "Your kid is fine. She doesn't want apples or goldfish, she doesn't want to read Care Bear or Paw Patrol, she doesn't want to put on her sweater or take off her shoes. She's fine. Please, let her -- and all of us -- be. Shut. Up."

The spotlight example is crazy but you're wrong about this one. You actually told a woman on a plane to shut up because she was talking to her kid? Yes she sounds mildly annoying but YOU were the rude one there. You can't police other people's behavior like that. Unless she was pestering *you* with questions, you need to learn to ignore something like that. Or, yes, bring noise canceling headphones.

I've heard people talking in much more annoying ways than that on planes many times and I've never once told any of them to shut up. Just wow.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am with the poster that said noise canceling headphones. Certain things is a must when you are going on a flight; a water bottle (for those delays of exiting the plane or take off and the cabin can get extremely hot), tylenol, noise canceling headphones, a hoodie

Also a sleep mask. People are allowed to have their lights on or the window shade up if they are in the window seat, and you don’t get to control it. But you can block it out with a mask.

Agreed. Flying is so much easier if you just prep properly. Those new neck wrap plane pillows are also really helpful even if you sleeping. They make it easier to relax while sitting upright.

You're in a metal tube for hours with hundreds of strangers. Of course people might do something annoying. You should 100% come prepared for that and figure out what you need to feel comfortable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am always stunned that the DCUM response to people being rude is "they can do whatever they want, you have to plan for that." Classic example is the people who shine spotlights into other people's homes at night in the name of "security." DCUM says "Get blackout curtains" rather than the obvious answer: "shot the lights out."

OP, talking on a plane is not illegal, but it's asinine. I once turned around and told a woman to please be quiet, because she had been asking her kid "do you want this or that" questions for almost an hour, and the kid never responded to any of them. I said, "Your kid is fine. She doesn't want apples or goldfish, she doesn't want to read Care Bear or Paw Patrol, she doesn't want to put on her sweater or take off her shoes. She's fine. Please, let her -- and all of us -- be. Shut. Up."

And you were the rude one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am always stunned that the DCUM response to people being rude is "they can do whatever they want, you have to plan for that." Classic example is the people who shine spotlights into other people's homes at night in the name of "security." DCUM says "Get blackout curtains" rather than the obvious answer: "shot the lights out."

OP, talking on a plane is not illegal, but it's asinine. I once turned around and told a woman to please be quiet, because she had been asking her kid "do you want this or that" questions for almost an hour, and the kid never responded to any of them. I said, "Your kid is fine. She doesn't want apples or goldfish, she doesn't want to read Care Bear or Paw Patrol, she doesn't want to put on her sweater or take off her shoes. She's fine. Please, let her -- and all of us -- be. Shut. Up."

Poor Mom was probably nervous about having to fly with a crying kid so she prepared ahead. Kids are capricious - she may have desperately wanted the Care Bear book an hour into the flight. You ATA.

[Anonymous]

It's definitely inconsiderate but not really any different than two people talking to each other the entire time. Both are annoying but I don't know if there's anything you can do. There's no expectation of silence on a plane.

My biggest pet peeve on a flight, train or other close space is hearing people eat. It's the most disgusting sound to me even if they are trying to be quiet about it (but of course most people have no idea how loud and disgusting they are digging their whole fist into a bag of chips and then munching loudly). But it's unreasonable for me to expect that no one should eat on a flight. So I put my headphones on and try to focus on something else.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:That’s what noise canceling headphones are for

This. I sat through a transatlantic 8 or 9 hour flights with a man and a woman behind me getting to know each other - with the typical conversation of two seat mates who are just getting to know each other and really enjoying conversation. For 8 or 9 whole hours (luckily there were short breaks for meals). But it is what it is. That’s what headphones and a movie or playlist are for.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am always stunned that the DCUM response to people being rude is "they can do whatever they want, you have to plan for that." Classic example is the people who shine spotlights into other people's homes at night in the name of "security." DCUM says "Get blackout curtains" rather than the obvious answer: "shot the lights out."

OP, talking on a plane is not illegal, but it's asinine. I once turned around and told a woman to please be quiet, because she had been asking her kid "do you want this or that" questions for almost an hour, and the kid never responded to any of them. I said, "Your kid is fine. She doesn't want apples or goldfish, she doesn't want to read Care Bear or Paw Patrol, she doesn't want to put on her sweater or take off her shoes. She's fine. Please, let her -- and all of us -- be. Shut. Up."

And you were the rude one.

Completely agree. That poster was the rude one on the plane.

[Anonymous]

I once sat on the front row of two people who talked without a stop for hours and hours on a cross-Atlantic red eye flight. They also had their lights on, and finally, after my little kid woke up repeatedly because of the light, I asked them to turn off the light. Perhaps because of that they started paying attention to where they were and what other people were trying to do (sleep). An hour before landing they asked me if I was bothered by their talking and after that they finally shut up.

This happened to me once. Those flights are tough - by the time you take off, they serve the food, take it away, etc. there doesn't seem to be much time to actually sleep. Not sure if some of these folks WANT to stay up the entire time (and keep their lights on, too), but read the room. The airlines turn the lights off, and the cabin gets really quiet. I'm always surprised when folks don't notice that.

[Anonymous]

Consideration for others is not exactly a shining trait of this forum so I’m not surprised by some of the responses to this thread.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I once sat on the front row of two people who talked without a stop for hours and hours on a cross-Atlantic red eye flight. They also had their lights on, and finally, after my little kid woke up repeatedly because of the light, I asked them to turn off the light. Perhaps because of that they started paying attention to where they were and what other people were trying to do (sleep). An hour before landing they asked me if I was bothered by their talking and after that they finally shut up.

This happened to me once. Those flights are tough - by the time you take off, they serve the food, take it away, etc. there doesn't seem to be much time to actually sleep. Not sure if some of these folks WANT to stay up the entire time (and keep their lights on, too), but read the room. The airlines turn the lights off, and the cabin gets really quiet. I'm always surprised when folks don't notice that.

I don’t sleep on planes and I read. If you want total darkness bring a sleep mask. I’m under no compunction to turn off my light for you.

[Anonymous]

I would be annoyed if I didn’t have headphones but I never travel without headphones. It’s 2025, why are people not preparing for inevitable plane noise with headphones?