I got up early this morning and took myself out to breakfast. While sitting at my table, book open next to me, I noticed something disturbing happening a few feet away. Let me set the scene for you:
There was a man, heavily tattooed and wearing a beanie, sitting at the table next to mine. He was quietly minding his own business, with coffee in one hand and a book in the other. I had never seen the man before, but I instantly felt camaraderie with him given that we were both engaged in the act of reading. After a few minutes, another older gentleman came up to the tattooed man and asked if he could share his table with him. (The tables at this establishment are high tops seating four. There were few options available that morning for those dining alone.) The tattooed man said that, of course, he was welcome to sit down.
*Cue horror music* That’s when it happened.
That’s when the older gentleman started talking the tattooed man’s ear off. While the man was trying to read.
The man handled it calmly and engaged the older gentleman for a little while before eventually getting up to leave. Even though I was not part of the equation, I couldn’t help but feel irritated on behalf of the tattooed man. I, too, on multiple occasions have been trying to read in peace, only to have a complete stranger insist on rudely interrupting.
What is it about others that cause them to do this? Is it because they are not book lovers like us, so they don’t understand just how sacred reading time is? Or do they just not give a fuck? Every time this happens to me I am both perplexed and slightly offended.
Seriously, go away. Just let us read in peace.
~
Does this ever happen to you? How do you handle it?
Once Upon a Spine 
Yes. Some people just love to hear their own voice and I think they just don’t get the hint. Almost like they’re socially dumb. You can smirk and stuff your nose back in the book and in their head they’re like “oh they love what I just said and they want me to continue entertaining them”. haha
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UGH. This is why it’s better just to stay home sometimes, haha.
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Yeah. I love this one coffee place to hang. the vibe is nice. So I put in a pair of Apple AirPods and nobody even attempts to F@#$ with me.
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That’s a good idea. Maybe I should start using decoy ear buds!
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Yup. I even do it around the house and my girlfriend leaves me alone. I tried at work, but my assistant I think just likes to F with me because he will always find the need to tell me something everytime I’m trying to zen out. Like, write it down I don’t give a shit right now dude. Sorry, I’m ranting lol. Yeah, try the earbud thing.
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Oh geez, if I tried at work they’d still drive me nuts anyway. I can have my office door shut and people still feel the need to just barge in and ask me stuff.
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Yup. If I’m on the phone… they just talk anyway. Then get pissed that I don’t remember or didn’t hear what they said. Allllllll, day. lol
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Sorry Kiersten (and Joseph), but I have to disagree with you on this one. It COULD be (not assuming it was, mind you) that the “intruder” was a lonely soul, perhaps recently having lost someone he loved to death, or some other circumstance. Maybe he picked out ‘this reading gentleman’ to sit and commune with because he too was a reader and thought this person might be an understanding soul. You can never tell for sure, unless you open up to “the intruder” and engage him/her. Yes, maybe he was simply an annoying buttinsky, looking for any John, Dick, or Harry to gab with. But maybe, just maybe, he saw the book in the man’s hand and thought he might have the chance to commue with a kindred spirit reader who just maybe would listen and offer him a bit of comfort. Okay, could be I’m stretching things a bit here, but who knows if you are too quick to judge and not offer the person the benefit of the doubt. Just my two cents worth.
–Michael
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In some cases I am sure this is what’s happening. Other times I feel like people are just oblivious. Regardless, I’m still nice to people when they do this to me, even if they are interrupting me. There’s never any reason to be rude to someone just because they want to talk to you. (Unless they are being rude or inappropriate.)
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This happens to me during my lunch break at work all the time…and I work in a bookstore! You would think my fellow book-loving employees would understand how annoying this is!
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Go figure! I worked as a librarian for a few years and the same thing used to happen to me. Eventually I started going out to my car on my lunch breaks so that I could read in peace.
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I’ve had this happen, unfortunately. Thankfully where I currently live, people tend to mind their own business when it comes to coffee and cafe type shops, as well as public transit. But it does happen every so often. And it’s one thing when it’s talking about books or asking a question and moving along, but it’s another when they just keep going. Drives me crazy.
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Omg yes! This happens to me all the time. I give them the look and everything and they don’t take the hint to be quite. Usually when someone has a book in their hands it means to back off. I want a shirt that says I am reading do not talk to me.😂
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How about instead of a shirt a flashing neon sign? 😂
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Yes! That way they might be able to see it before they even step near me! 😂
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Prefect 👍👍 😂
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Yes! It used to be on a train when I’d commute 90 minutes each way for work. I’d settle in, read and then people would just start talking. Painful. Good post!
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That would have driven me insane.
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