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Talking to people in Airports

keith16

Why do strangers think it's ok talk to others in airports or on an aircraft?

Is it an Irish thing?

Travelling for me is an opportunity to read / podcast / sleep.
I find it a bit cringey tbh. Some clown invariably pipes up with one of the following:

Sitting in the airport bar: "Where ya off to yourself?"

At the gate: "No sign of the feicin plane yet, RYANAIR, WHA?"

On the plane: "What were you /are you doing over in X Y OR Z yourself?"

Getting off the plane: "Back to this crap weather now, WHA?"

In the passport queue: "Jaysis, where's me passport, WHA?"

At the baggage belt: "Where is my baggage?"

On the 16A into town "€2.85, sure over in X Y OR Z the bus driver gives you money getting on"

Walking towards my house: "This is a lovely place, are ya renting or buying?"

Do you talk to other people in the airport? Do you make up elaborate stories in response to strangers' questions?

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Ihatecuddles

The Backwards Man wrote: »

Oulwans on planes can be great craic.

not this one!
http://imgace.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/nervous-yes-very.-first-time-no-Ive-been-nervous-lots-of-times..png

keith16

The Backwards Man wrote: »

Oulwans on planes can be great craic.

I met this old dude on a flight to Poland once. Really interesting guy. Started out by asking "what time is the flight at" or some bollox. "Here we go", I thought to myself.

Actually was a professor of economics, and was chatting away to him on the flight. He was telling me about the movement of people across Poland after the war, and how different regions inherited characteristics / languages they would never otherwise have and all the struggles that entailed.

He then told me some brilliant stories from his travels back in his youth and came out with some great stuff. The journey flew by and I ended up boozing with him for a while on the Saturday watching the Lions game! Good times!:)

bear1

Doesn't bother me if the conversation is passing the time.
About 3 years ago I was coming back to Dublin after visiting my then girlfriend in Warsaw (now wife).
It was around Christmas time and for those that have been to PL during the winter you know what I mean when I say its' fecking cold!
Anyway there we are, a good few Irish lads waiting for Aer Lingus flight and commenting on the bastard of our luck with the flight.
Then the delay came, then pure silence, I mean absolutely no news about the flight until it was cancelled due to the weather.
They booked us all into the nearest hotel and sure enough when I went down for a pint there were some of the lads (they didn't know each other) drinking at the bar. Joined them and we all got totally gazeeboed.
Left the next day and haven't seen them since, was good craic though for the night

billie1b

bear1 wrote: »

Doesn't bother me if the conversation is passing the time.
About 3 years ago I was coming back to Dublin after visiting my then girlfriend in Warsaw (now wife).
It was around Christmas time and for those that have been to PL during the winter you know what I mean when I say its' fecking cold!
Anyway there we are, a good few Irish lads waiting for Aer Lingus flight and commenting on the bastard of our luck with the flight.
Then the delay came, then pure silence, I mean absolutely no news about the flight until it was cancelled due to the weather.
They booked us all into the nearest hotel and sure enough when I went down for a pint there were some of the lads (they didn't know each other) drinking at the bar. Joined them and we all got totally gazeeboed.
Left the next day and haven't seen them since, was good craic though for the night

I've been to Poland (Warsaw, Zagan) a couple of times during the winter, have to say even though it was snowing and cold, it was more of a dry cold than the wet cold we get here in Ireland, found Dublin much colder.
We got stuck with a delay aswell and lije you no info what so ever, the arrived two hours late but as my wife and myself were together we never got into any major conversations with people, just pleasantries

Legs.Eleven

thegreatgonzo wrote: »

Not just an Irish thing.
I got talking to a guy in Chicago airport and he followed me home :-(

Americans are also very friendly at airports...in my experience.

[Deleted User]

I met a really nice belgian dude on one flight, he was behind me at security and yer woman was being a bit of a twonk about the plastic bag I had (the same one I always bring flying with me but she took issue with it), and he was all talk telling me she was just being a pain etc and told me to have a good flight. Turned out he was sitting next to me on the flight, we had all the chats about healthcare which we both work in. He told me lovely places to go visit, and asked me where he should see on his return to Ireland. Really lovely fella.

It is mostly Irish though I've found to chat though but that's most likely because A. I fly mostly out of Irish airports, and B. They hear the accent and think "one of us". Also Americans from Milwaukee! They love the chats and the irish humuour.

Ush1

On a flight to Toronto that was oversold so wasn't sitting with the other half.

Sat next to this oul fella that was burning the ear off me. Kept name dropping and talking about how much money he made, then he would say I'm not bragging, just telling you how it is.

I stuck in my headphones and started watching a film and he starts hitting my arm saying he can't get his headphones working, did he think I was tech support for the flight?

I don't mind some conversations, but not when it's someone that just wants to hear their own voice.

mattjack

Legs.Eleven wrote: »

Americans are also very friendly at airports...in my experience.

Two Americans turned up at my bro in laws stag weekend a few years ago ,apart from one bloke none knew them even my bro. in law .Turned out they were two soldiers making thier way back to Germany and decided they,d make a trip across Europe to get thier base.
They got talking to the Irish bloke returning to Dublin for the stag in the bar and he invited them to the stag weekend.

cashback

keith16 wrote: »

I met this old dude on a flight to Poland once. Really interesting guy. Started out by asking "what time is the flight at" or some bollox. "Here we go", I thought to myself.

Actually was a professor of economics, and was chatting away to him on the flight. He was telling me about the movement of people across Poland after the war, and how different regions inherited characteristics / languages they would never otherwise have and all the struggles that entailed.

He then told me some brilliant stories from his travels back in his youth and came out with some great stuff. The journey flew by and I ended up boozing with him for a while on the Saturday watching the Lions game! Good times!:)

Hang on OP. I thought you hated talking to people on airplanes/at airports?

TheGoldenAges

double post

TheGoldenAges

Was taking a connection flight back home from New York after I'd been in Los Angelos and the flight was oversold not to mention it was 2am. All I wanted was to sleep but got put beside a morbidly obese couple from Jacksonville who were telling me their plans of "getting the most out of the Irish experience". I had to put up with talking to them for 3 hours before I was eventually was left alone and slept for about an hour.

They then decided to wake me up because the wife wanted to know some places to visit that they wouldn't have known about. I tried to be as friendly as I could but I was so tired and pissed off I'm surprised I lasted the whole flight without snapping.

keith16

cashback wrote: »

Hang on OP. I thought you hated talking to people on airplanes/at airports?

Not particularly, there are some people I would enjoy talking to, but others not. I think Ush1 sums it up well below.

Ush1 wrote: »

I don't mind some conversations, but not when it's someone that just wants to hear their own voice.

old hippy

It's good and bad. Depends who you meet. Last year, an old guy bought me a drink in Atlanta, which was nice. His pa had died and left him a fortune and he was in a generous mood.

Years back, got talking to a girl at the ferryport in Wales (iirc) and we ended up going out on a date.

Got stuck between two ladies on the way to Seoul, one of them was in a panic in case there were no McDonald's or Pizza restaurants over there :rolleyes: they weren't the worst, tbh but I was separated from the missus for the duration and had nobody's hand to squeeze for taking off and landing