Airplane Etiquette 2 - Don't Eavesdrop

Earlier this week I had the misfortunate of getting a middle seat on the plane.  When the fasten seatbelt sign went off, I got my laptop and decided to take advantage of the four hour flight to get some work done. 

I was listening to my iPod with my noise cancelling headphones while trying to catchup on some emails when the guy sitting next to me (who unbeknowst to me has been checking out what I've been doing on my computer screen all along) taps me on the shoulder to ask what I do for a living and proceeds to ask questions about the PowerPoint document that I'm trying to read.

DUDE, mind your own business.  Luckily he looked like he was retired so at least I didn't have to worry about him being the competition trying to steal insider info.

Then he asks me what I was doing earlier on iTunes.  I told him I was organizing my playlist and he asked how I did that. 

I put my headphones back on and tried to continue to work when he gets up, gets his iPad, taps me again so he can show me pictures from his vacation in Spain.  (As if I didn't have anything better to do.)

Not only are you eavesdropping on me while I'm trying to work, but you don't seem to understand that when someone has headphones on AND is working, they don't want to talk to you.

I think the woman sitting next to me at the window felt my pain as she was trying to read and avoided all eye contact with everyone.

Again while I'm trying to work, he taps me on the shoulder one last time to say that I have a tough job and then he starts asking me questions.  I finally said to him that I didn't know about what he was asking because I was just trying to finish reading this document right now.  I think he got the hint and finally left me alone for the rest of the flight.

Airplane Etiquette 1 - Use Headphones

I'm not one to usually book early flights, but a couple of weeks ago I didn't have any other option and found myself on a 6:15am flight.  I boarded the plane and got out my neck pillow with the hopes that I could at least fall asleep before the plane took off when the guy sitting across the aisle takes out his phone and starts to watch a video WITHOUT ANY HEADPHONES. 

Who does that?  I stared at him multiple times, but he didn't seem to get the hint.  I should've gotten out my ipod touch and started listening to music without my headphones as well.  Doesn't he understand that if everyone on the plane did that, no one would be able to hear anything.

I'm not one to confront people face to face (that's why I created this blog), but one of my co-workers said that I should've tapped the guy on the shoulder and asked if he needed a pair of headphones because the flight attendant could get him one.  Why didn't I think of that? 

Luckily when they closed to plane doors, he turned off his phone and didn't turn it back on for the remainder of the flight.