G
guest in the west
Guest
Have never seen this on Surfliners but maybe it's a NEC problem with more stressed business people on board?
Tangled Up and Blue
Twice recently I have sat in the window seat on an Amtrak train. Another person has taken the aisle seat and plugged a cellphone or laptop into the outlet beneath the window and laid the cords across my lap — without so much as a word to me about it. Both times, I objected and asked the people to move their cords. And in both cases, the people freaked out. (I’m not kidding.) Am I in the wrong here?
Christina, Brooklyn
Good to know that Amtrak runs an express train to hell. If right and wrong are your sole concern, fear not, Christina. You are the big winner. But if you are interested in diminishing these unpleasantness cord encounters (and that would be the point of manners here), may I suggest a few anti-freak-out possibilities?
Next time, say: “Would you care to switch seats? I don’t want the cord on my lap.” Or, if you want to keep your window seat, try a friendly, “Can we rearrange this cord so I don’t get all tangled up.” (Of course, an evil genius would plug her hair dryer into the outlet the second she sat down and avoid the whole kerfuffle.) Remember: Even though these folks are being aggressive, you may be stuck with them for several hours.
link to full article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/21/fashion/The-Bigger-Picture-social-qs.html?ref=todayspaper
Tangled Up and Blue
Twice recently I have sat in the window seat on an Amtrak train. Another person has taken the aisle seat and plugged a cellphone or laptop into the outlet beneath the window and laid the cords across my lap — without so much as a word to me about it. Both times, I objected and asked the people to move their cords. And in both cases, the people freaked out. (I’m not kidding.) Am I in the wrong here?
Christina, Brooklyn
Good to know that Amtrak runs an express train to hell. If right and wrong are your sole concern, fear not, Christina. You are the big winner. But if you are interested in diminishing these unpleasantness cord encounters (and that would be the point of manners here), may I suggest a few anti-freak-out possibilities?
Next time, say: “Would you care to switch seats? I don’t want the cord on my lap.” Or, if you want to keep your window seat, try a friendly, “Can we rearrange this cord so I don’t get all tangled up.” (Of course, an evil genius would plug her hair dryer into the outlet the second she sat down and avoid the whole kerfuffle.) Remember: Even though these folks are being aggressive, you may be stuck with them for several hours.
link to full article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/21/fashion/The-Bigger-Picture-social-qs.html?ref=todayspaper