Originally Posted by cblaisd

...We begin to taxi. As we're are taxiing, my seatmate reaches over and clutches my shirt and says "Could you please close all those windows -- I hate takeoffs and think I will pass out if I have to watch." As kindly as I could (really) I say, no, I booked a window seat so I can watch and maybe you could close your eyes or move over in the center where there is no one sitting (and offered to call the FA) and you won't 'have to' see outside. He says, no, I picked this seat because I need people to talk to.

We begin the takeoff roll with a clerance to make a 10 degree turn to the left. We rotate and begin the 10 degree turn. My seatmate again grabs my shirt and softly screams. Then the gear comes up and flaps are coming up. Out shoots the hand and clutches my shirt. I suggest to him that he put on his headphones, listen to Channel 9 and he'll hear what the controllers are telling the pilots to do, or that he listen to music. He puts on the headphones, but does not plug them in. In about 2 minutes -- you guessed it, a hand again clutches my shirt and he says "please stop working and talk to me. I picked this seat so someone would talk to me. I can't stand not having someone to talk to me during takeoff." OK. I talk to him a couple of minutes. He again asks me to put all the windows down.

My seatmate asks for a meal and then does not eat it for 45 minutes (but does not want the FA to take it back). Finally, I notice, he picks up the roll (this is the -- surprise!! -- deli plate) precisely rotates the roll 90 degrees, eats half of the bottom half of the roll, then studies it for a time. Then he precisely turns it another 90 degrees, and eats the other half of the bottom of the roll. Then he tells the FA to take it away.