Miss Manners: When fellow travelers exclude you from conversations

DEAR MISS MANNERS: Are there any rules of etiquette for speaking to strangers sitting beside you on a plane? I was on a long flight, surrounded by six people from the same party, but I was never even addressed by any of them.

I was seated in between two gentlemen. Two ladies were seated in the row ahead of us, and two more ladies were in the row behind. The six of them were conversing off and on throughout the flight, but for the entire time, I was treated as if I were not even there.

I sensed that trying to start a conversation with one of them would have resulted in polite rejection. After the flight landed, I could not help but feel a little let down because of all the conversation I had listened to but could not be a part of.

Was this dysfunctional behavior on anyone’s part? Should one of them at least have said “How do you do?” to me?

GENTLE READER: Most people, Miss Manners dares say, would have been grateful to be left out of such conversations -- but not to be talked over, which is the point where your fellow passengers failed to meet the standards of civility.

This inconvenient separation of the gabby party would have provided a natural point of introduction. They could have asked if you were willing to exchange seats so that they could speak without disturbing you. Or you could have offered. This would have given you the opportunity either to agree or to introduce yourself to the group.

(Please send your questions to Miss Manners at her website, www.missmanners.com; to her email, dearmissmanners@gmail.com; or through postal mail to Miss Manners, Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)

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