Or you could have done an interpretive dance.

I always shake my head and laugh when I don't fully hear what people say. It works most of the time, but once I rang up a small amount of groceries to a costomer and they said, "Y'know, this food is all I've got for the rest of the month." And I replied with an unintentional, sarcastic-sounding, ass hole response, saying "Hahaha, yeah." Sometimes we all get ourselves into unwanted awkward situations.

One time I was on a ski lift when a situation like that happened, I saw a red spot on the snow and thinking it was paint I jokingly asked my brother if someone died there. A girl on the bench responded and I didn't hear her so I just nodded and laughed. Turned out someone had just ran into a tree and broke both of their legs 30 minutes before that.

and that is precisely why I don't ski.

To avoid awkward situations that may stem out of a combination of broken limbs and indecipherable ski lift mumbling?

Hahahaha mrbrightside you just made my morning hahahaha

way to state the obvious

Fight or flight isn't a skill, its an instinct.

I doubt it's matter of "getting over herself". People brush it off when someone says they have serious social issues or social anxiety or something, but it's a pretty big deal for them. To OP, sorry it led to an even more awkward situation

Someone did not have to sit next to them eventually. Said at 'airport' not on an 'airplane' I haven't been to crowded airports so where I have been there is plenty if room to not sit by people.

I doubt someone would have specifically asked to sit next to them if there was room elsewhere...

75- or perhaps there were other places, but all of them were next to someone as well?

#69 -- In some airports there is absolutely not enough room for everyone to sit, especially not if there have been delays that mean more than one flight's worth of people are waiting near the same gate(s). I've several times waited for a flight where at least a third of the people in the area had to sit on the floor or keep standing. And there are plenty of similar situations -- full buses, theatres, etc. -- where the same thing could happen. And it must be hard for OP. So either way, OP might want to talk to a therapist about that social anxiety.

That's what I meant 83. I'm currently at the airport and that is indeed the situation in most places. We had a hard time even finding a seat for two people

I didnt say every airport geez people read and please don't doubt that if there was open seats they wouldn't have asked specifically to sit there people are like that. Like at a restaurant and you need an extra chair and ask to take one from a table nearby are you assumed to that you specifically asked their table for a reason instead of taking one from somewhere else? Why should it be assume she did not specifically ask to sit there?

thank you! I have social anxiety and nothing seems more insensitive to me than for someone to say to "just get over it". social anxiety is a huge deal to the person who has it. its NOT something you just get over like that. if you don't have it, you should not judge because u have no idea how hard it is

I agree. You should have politely smiled and nodded your head yes, and then proceeded to politely ignore her for the duration of the flight if you so choose...

Horton I'm choosing to impolitely not ignore your sexy profile pic.

Hey there baby. I'm diggin' your curves. You packin' some serious junk in that trunk girl. Perhaps we can participate in the production of some precious pachyderms. ;)

Someone with a mouse avatar get in here and break this up. Then stick around for a moment, I need to speak with you...

Sup?

Priceless xD

Ain't nothing gonna break what we have up, ya pussy.

No mouse, it's a trap!

I agree Doc. He could have at least tried to convey that she could sit. It was rude, and I feel bad for that poor lady.

I wouldn't say rotten... But still a simple nod/shake would've sufficed.

That's a bit harsh, Doc. If anyone has ever read your blog (I'm a true fan), then they'd notice how your confidence oozes out of it, unfortunately not everyone is blessed with the same social skills. OP's probably not a rotten person, but they could have handled it better.

But faking being deaf just so someone would sit next to her? Please. If the woman was asking, that means seating was scarce. And denying her an open seat is simply obnoxious no matter how shy you are.

I think a point of interest of this FML is also that she "loudly" asked. What does that mean? It could mean a few things, logically with the other information I think the woman had experience working with, or even was someone who's hearing impaired. Probably a very nice person. I myself have social anxiety, but no matter how nervous I am, if someone else is polite and forwardly nice, then it's not hard to show the decency apparent with common sense. I also wouldn't pretend to have any kind of disability, it's simply disrespectful.

I agree with Doc on this one. The woman was polite and thoughtful enough to ask OP if she could sit. She could have just sat down without consent. I understand that OP has crippling social anxiety, but I think she could have at least nodded. I mean, faking a disability? That's very contemptible.

While I agree he could have let the woman sit next to him, I think it's safe to say that if he let her sit next to him, he would have to do a lot more socializing, seeing as she spoke loudly and came out of nowhere. I'd also like to point out that such a harsh judgement is yet another reason he will want to avoid social conduct, since he's apparently a rotten person for wanting to mind his own business.

I just read this with a new set of eyes, what if she asked and took the liberty of sitting down and OP just pretended she was deaf so she didn't have to talk throughout the flight, and that's when the sign language began? Maybe OP nodded yes to the seat taking but made a point of letting the woman know she was deaf to avoid all future conversation. If that makes sense.

shut your ******* face if you're going to be so judgmental.

Functional - A thousand pardons! Please, I beg your forgiveness! As penance, I shall leave here and never show my judgmental face again! Oh, my shame! My shame!

You went pretty overboard . Just chill people have their problems , some worse than others

Just wanna put it out there, deafness is not a real disability because a disability implies that someone is incapable of doing something, but they can do everything a hearing person can do except hear... But yeah your right

"Incapable of doing something...." Uhm,,,pretty sure that deaf people are INCAPABLE of hearing...you can't say that it's not a disability, define it, and then say that they just can't hear...-.- you must not have much for a brain...think before you speak....or type...oh, and it's you're* not your

As someone who suffered from severe anxiety, I can relate to how OP panicked, but it is just simpler to "yes" and quickly get on with your day. I would have moved after minute or two though due to unneccessary panic.

You literally just contradicted yourself.. "a disability implies that someone is incapable of doing something" So I'm guessing that everyone is incapable of hearing? Seriously? Yes, deaf people are able to get through society much easier than say someone who is blind . But they do still face many challenges. If you're trying to make an argument, at least put some effort into it..

That's incredibly true! And the more you get involved in the Deaf community, the more you see there are deaf people doing everything (even singers).

But hearing doesn't stop you from doing anything. Just think of deafness as a language barrier. If deafness is a real disability, then you're disabled if you ever go to China or Russia.

I'm guessing you don't have social anxiety of any sort? You literally can't do anything. You freeze. You're paralysed

Maybe she didn't want to sit alone and wanted a person to talk to.

Or perhaps that was one of the only available seats, if not the only remaining seat.

12- IT'S *HAVE! *HAVE! MUST HAVE WANTED!

97 - Not full capitals, please. Feels like you are shouting at me, while I am reading it.

I think 97 was shouting. Caps were appropriate.

Don't Australians speak English? So the sign language would be English also...

There are different dialects of English sign language, just as there are different dialects of English. Although people from America, England, Australia, and other primarily English speaking countries, all speak English, they all have their own dialect that differs quite a bit from each other. There are even different vernaculars within the same countries depending on what state or providence you are from.

Sign language is not the same everywhere. Australian sign shares some symbols with British sign but is still different. Australian sign is also very different from American Sign Language. So depending on which she was using

Damn, sent early. Anyway just pointing out that signing can be very different depending on where you are.

For those saying all sign language is the same, they're not. I've learned American and Australian sign language and while they may have some similarities, they are definitely different.

#13, too bad it doesn't work that way.