Originally Posted by upinthe

The thing is, this isn't an organic interaction where the human standing in front of me has an independent need or desire to provide this info. It's an employer-mandated spiel. So I don't feel rude when I summarily nod, utter a quick "thanks" and briskly walk away. "Is the 10 extra seconds really such a problem" -- yes, because it aggregates with thousands of other seconds I spend enmeshed in similar red tape. Press 1 for English. Listen to a menu of irrelevant options before selecting the one I want. Listen to the check-in desk girl at the hotel explain the spa benefits I'm not going to use, an explanation I've listened to more times than I can count. We live in a bureaucratized society where people are induced to go through these motions, constantly, and it degrades organic social interaction.

So, don't take the passenger's impatience personally. It isn't solely about you.