OK - failing my husband, or my best friend, a researcher in an interesting scientific topic would be a definite solid third place!
Re coach / long flights: Ugh. Longest flight I’ve been on in my life was across the continental US (then, from San Francisco to Honolulu). Coach both times on that trip. We’ve gone cross-country first class twice, since then (airline miles) and it was much nicer.
I’ve gained some weight since then the trip to Hawaii. And gotten older, and had my knees go wonky. I would NOT enjoy a really long flight in coach. We’re talking about Australia in 2028 (next solar eclipse) and I’m saving to afford at least business class.
Summer Glau? pleasant to look at and quite petite. I wouldn’t bother her so would avoid being killed by her brain and/or robot strength.
Lisa Loeb? also quite small – though I’d insist try each other’s glasses.
Good plan, and save those dollars to get in business. I’ve been to Australia a few times, on flights of 9 to 10 hours (e.g. YYZ - HNL - SYD - PER, although the SYD - PER hop was only 6 hours), each time in coach, and it’s been interesting. Very cramped, and I cannot imagine doing it for 14 to 15 hours in coach.
I can think of a few seatmates on those flights I wouldn’t mind flying with again, but a few—no thanks. Like I said previously, Dorothy Parker would be a fine seatmate, and would make sure that we both had plenty of martinis.
Given some of the information posted about Helen Keller, perhaps I should reconsider naming her.
I might, instead, go with someone else who is (regrettably) gone: Mitch Hedberg. If you’re stuck with someone for 15 hours, making it someone whose brain works differently–in a non-violent way, of course–might be a good choice.
I couldn’t decide who I would have wanted as a seat mate until I saw this. I recently discovered Brad Williams and found him hysterical. Not only his comedy shows, but a few interviews that I’ve found on YouTube have added him to my list of people I’d love to hang out with.
There’s an interesting divergence in sorts of replies which makes me wonder what people do in real life, strike up conversations with seatmates more than “excuse me, sorry” when getting up to pee, or relax in solitude as best as possible.
I usually talk enough to be perceived as friendly, but I enjoy being left alone, and that is true even when I’m flying with my husband or a friend, on a flight that long. When someone talks to me, or responds to what could be a yes/no question with a longer answer, I usually give a brief response if I have one.
Yep.
Don’t be tryna talk to me.
You’ll get a blank stare or my card.
For some strange reason the card seems to piss off folks.
In a need for brevity and not wanting to do a short story of my situation, the card says …“Sorry, I don’t speak.”
I then get a flurry of questions and angry looks.
This speech impediment is exacerbated by stress. I do not like to fly. So my anxiety is at the highest level.
No I won’t be talking to anyone. I’ll listen. Some folks do talk after they know. They soon fade away. No response from me and I guess it’s just not worth the effort. That’s fine and dandy with me.
I don’t have a card, so I just open my kindle and start reading and/or put in my ear buds. People get the message. Are they pissed off? If they are I don’t notice, so who cares?
I’m generally gregarious, and I’ve struck up conversations with strangers on airplanes. But i know that many people prefer to be left alone. So when my seatmate puts on headphones or looks at a book or screen, i respect that and leave them alone except for short, logistical conversations like, “excuse me, i need to get out to use the restroom.”
I’ve long wanted to pick the brain of someone who works at Saturday Night Live. Just, to learn about the process, etc. One particular question I’ve always wanted to know is, when they write a sketch, do they have the actors in mind? Like, did Mikey Day have Heidi Gardner in mind as the hostess when he wrote Beavis & Butthead? Or did he write the sketch and the performers were hashed out later?
So, Heidi Gardner or Mikey Day or another SNL cast member/writer.
All of my flights for the past 15 years have been two-hour trips between Chicago and Raleigh-Durham, so there hasn’t been much chance for extended interaction. In most cases the person next to me starts staring at their phone/tablet as soon as they’re settled in, so they’re obviously not interested in talking. The only recent exception was when I was seated in Business Class, where the guy next to me and I got to talking about the advantages of not being in Coach.