To wake or not wake..... that is the question!!
 

Your seatmate is asleep and snoring. You are trying to get to sleep. Do you wake him/her?

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At 6'6" -'coach' is a dirty word!

I "accidentally" spill my water on him. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

No, I wouldn't do that. I would be too embarrassed and worried about hurting their feelings. The only time I would bother my seatmate in a situation like that is if they are leaning on me, drooling on my shoulder or the like. If I can see that they are so overweight that they can't help it, I don't do anything because what could they do about it? Just be glad it happens infrequently. I would rather them be snoring than awake swapping loud stories with neighbors or people standing in the aisle, leaning on my seat etc. ...

Noooo I would not wake them up. I can only imagine how embarrassed they would be. I could not do that to someone.

How about a slight nudge, enough to cause him/her to shift position and hopefully stop snoring, but not enough to wake him/her to the point of knowing what caused it? Maybe shake the seatback a bit?

Ahh, shaken, but not stirred? http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif

What if you want to get up to stretch, check for magazines, etc? Would wake two people? How about a trip to the bathroom that isn't yet urgent?

I like the window, but I don't like to be trapped for many hours without a stroll around the place. But I find it hard to wake someone-sleep is sometimes hard to come by.

Would it be fair to say this is more of a 6'6" question than a 5'6" question?

Joe

How do you know that you are not snoring as well?

Earplugs http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

how about noise-canceling headphones?

DTC

I'd be too embarrassed to wake up the snorer!

On the other hand, knowing that I have a tendency to snore, I make a point of telling my seatmate right away to please feel free to awaken me if I start snoring. So far no one has, but it wouldn't bother me if they did; I'd actually prefer it.

I could see waking someone up if you need to use the restroom (snoring or not).

But waking up a snoring person because you want to go to sleep? Isn't that hypocritical? "Sleep is OK for me but not for you" -- how rude!

CozumelJen - What does weight have to do with snoring? I know many very thin people that can rattle the walls with their snoring.

Not a question of what would I do but what I actually do.

I do a few very loud fake sneezes and coughs to wake him up. Works everytime. This also works for those leisure travellers in front of me who recline on my lap and bop back and forth to their walkman for an entire flight when I'm in coach.

let me sleep pleeeeaaaasssee.

never happier than when I'm snoring my head off and id doesn't happen often on a plane....

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

I don't know what being 6'6" has to do with it.
As far as it being rude to wake the honker, I don't think it is. I'm an occasional honker (when prone) and I definitely want my wife to wake me up. I can get right back to sleep and I think it would be rude of me to keep her from sleeping. But hey, that's why I asked.


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At 6'6" -'coach' is a dirty word!

that's what I do w/ mr. squeakr

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Here's what can happen when you can't wake up a person next to you... http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

A little guy gets on a plane and sits next to the window.

A few minutes later, a big, heavy, strong mean-looking, hulking guy plops down in the seat next to him and immediately falls asleep. The little guy starts to feel a little airsick, but he's afraid to wake the
big guy up to ask if he can go to the bathroom. He knows he can't climb over him, and so the little guy is sitting there, looking at the big guy, trying to decide what to do.

Suddenly, the plane hits an air pocket and an uncontrollable wave of nausea passes through the little guy. He can't hold it in any longer and he pukes all over the big guy's chest.

About five minutes later the big guy wakes up, looks down, and sees the vomit all over him.

"So," says the little guy, "are you feeling better now?"

IMHO, the "decision factor" in this situation is whether or not the person's activity is voluntary.

Snoring really isn't voluntary. People who snore, snore. That's all there is to it. I think it's up to us to deal with it. If you are a frequent traveler who is bothered by snorers -- bring earplugs or headphones!

To provide a counterexample:

Kicking the back of my seat is (most likely) voluntary. I don't care how old or young you are. You need to exercise some self control and avoid repeatedly kicking my seat. If you don't, I'll remind you kindly of your obligations -- once -- and then get serious about stopping the action.

Make sense? http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Spider- that was brilliant!

Ok, now I understand the 5'6" vs 6'6" thing, but I don't really agree. FWIW, I'm a window guy (mostly because I am sooo big and need the window to sleep against, also because I get bumped by the FA's if I sit on the aisle) and I do try to plan my activities on long flights so that I don't disturb my seat partner (one of the reasons I've switched from beer to vodka) but if I gotta get up….then you gotta get up. If you're asleep, I'm sorry, but as my great-grandmother said " There's more room out then in!" Now of course you can think "that's easy for you to say, you're 6'6"" but really do you think that if the situation was reversed that I would kick your butt on the plane because you woke me up? Really... I think the real solution to these issues is communication. I almost always introduce myself to my seat partner and develop a little rapport with them. It makes these issues (potty break, snoring) a little easier to deal with. So to wrap it all up.... Wake me if I'm snoring, Little guy.


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At 6'6" -'coach' is a dirty word!

a sudden and violent fit of coughing and sneezing http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif