roberino

Grrrrrrrrr....

Was on a flight from SIN to MUC. Told my seat neighbour that I would be zoning out on my headphones and then sleeping (took a Zzzzquil) and that if she could hear anything from my headphones then to tell me now. I even ran the audio and held up the OK sign with my fingers and she gave it back.

I went for 2.5 hours with headphones running (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, for reference) and she said nothing. An hour after I dropped off into deep sleep she shook me awake to tell me she could hear "a bit of noise from my headphones". Couldn't sleep from then on....

Am I right to be pissed off here? I made it really clear that I was prepared to turn the volume down. She had an hour and a half before I slept to tell me it was too loud. She then let me sleep for an hour before waking me and telling me it was too loud.

Apparently my response to being woken up was "unnecessarily aggressive".

acvitale

politely, there is never a reason to be in necessarily aggressive. particularly in the scenario as outlined. Flying has some good days and some bad days. Our ability to control or emotions and temper is what separates us from animals.

roberino

I should clarify. My response was something along the lines of "I made it clear that I was prepared to turn my headphones down if they were too loud. I played this audio for 1.5 hours and you said nothing. Instead you waited until I was an hour into deep sleep before you woke me. Why?"

The response was "that is unnecessarily aggressive". Not "sorry" or "I regret not saying anything earlier" or anything helpful.

RTW1

And you obviously knew that your volume might bother others, otherwise you wouldn't have asked.... Some passengers might be to polite to say anything at first but might regret that a few hours later because you decided to turn the volume up and bother them.

roberino

I should add that my motive was mutual comfort. I didn't want to make anyone else uncomfortable with my audio, but equally I wanted to be left to sleep. A simple bilateral social contract...

FlyingUnderTheRadar

Often during a flight I have noticed the noise level will change. Sometimes because of a wind shift, change in the engines, altitude, etc. So perhaps that is why after 2.5 hours later she heard your head phones.

The other wise did you ask her not disturb you after you adjusted the volume ??? I guess the moral is turn them down even more. Bummer you could not get back to sleep but that is life on flight. Better than couple of mine with a kicking lap baby behind us and a crying baby with a mom who decided the EC area would be a good place to hang out.

roberino

Constant volume. I was deliberately trying not to be antisocial.

She had an hour and a half to work that out. Why wait until I was an hour into deep sleep before saying something?

Stars4SA

It is so difficult being in such close proximity. Sorry that happened to you.

schnitzer

My Bose OE2 headphones leak audio, not to the point of the annoying guys playing rock music on the bus. But I would have just kept my mouth shut about it.

You offered, so now she's going to say something. If you don't say anything, she'll probably just put up with it.

roberino

Thank you. You have no idea how much that (unexpectedly) calmed my soul.

Stars4SA

I am glad, I thought about what to say. Honestly, sometimes things happen. Bad things to good people and all that. But truly all I could really see was how uncomfortable I am every time I fly and how I was sure that the sleep was important and necessary for you.

Mauibaby2008

"Our ability to control or emotions and temper is what separates us from animals."

You're so quotable !

ansky08

Perhaps she did not realize that it would bother her, until she tried to sleep. I do agree her reaction is a bit clueless (at best)

FlyingUnderTheRadar

Reread what I wrote ... things may have changed during the flight. Sheesh, now yer just whining.

mrsjon01

+1

I can totally empathize, that sucks. It might be helpful to give her the benefit of the doubt, as others have suggested maybe something changed which made it more noticeable for her, or maybe she was struggling with something herself.