Lol, that is really annoying too, got to say.

Originally Posted by Risque

^ So a stranger's entitlement to a conversation is more important than my right to my own free time? I can't say I really like this notion of feeling the need to put yourself in an undesirable situation just to appease some random person.

I did say it was a personal choice. I don't really class journeys on public transport as free time anyway, regardless of what activity I'm doing on there. I also don't find making small talk with others an undesirable situation most of the time, which is why it doesn't bother me stopping what I'm doing to speak to them. Regardless, I still think it's rude to ignore people.

Originally Posted by RoadToGallifrey

I did say it was a personal choice. I don't really class journeys on public transport as free time anyway, regardless of what activity I'm doing on there. I also don't find making small talk with others an undesirable situation most of the time, which is why it doesn't bother me stopping what I'm doing to speak to them. Regardless, I still think it's rude to ignore people.

There's a reason why most people say, "May I have a moment of your time?"
Your personal definition of free time doesn't mean a thing when it's the other person who needs to consent to the conversation.
I just don't think it's fair to judge someone for exercising what is a right..

Wow Risque... where do you find people that polite? owo

The thing is, a public transportation means that you have a "right" to be there and mind your own business as your own. I would shame that person to no end and call him foul because of his attitude, there. We got our own property on a public transportation, too!

Originally Posted by The Wandering Poet

Wow Risque... where do you find people that polite? owo

Portland, Oregon, though I doubt that has anything to do with it. Even the annoying mall kiosk people say that.

Originally Posted by Ravensdance

I was on the bus,on my way home and reading a book. A person sits next to me and starts to chit chat with me and I politely told him (in a round about way) that I was sorry but was busy reading and wanted to finish. He countinued to chit chat with me so I pretty much ignored him and kept reading. When the bus came to his stop he accused me of being rude and impolite.

What do you think?

Did this person at all seem mentally impaired? This could have been the cause. There are certain mental illnesses that effect social skills including inability to understand what behavior is appropriate and what is not. Even so to call YOU rude was quite uncalled for.
I also ask because I am reminded of a semester in college several years ago when I'd shared a bus route with a couple of clearly mildly mentally retarded gentlemen. You could tell by the sound of their voices and they were very chatty with random peers on the bus. One of them once got chatty with me, I believe he even asked some questions that were inappropriate to ask a stranger and revealed information to me of the same nature.
After the first encounter however I started making sure I looked unable to listen to him via using my earbuds he might have tried again once but after that seemed to understand because he never engaged me again.

There was also a more recent incident I both had and witnessed earlier this year. Just after I boarded the bus to my volunteer job, this gentlemen started randomly telling me this story. I took out my book and when he saw me start reading he apparently got the message because he turned his attention to the young lady two seats behind me in the adjacent row. After several minutes another lady approached the gentlemen and politely asked him to back off because she could see that he was making the young lady uncomfortable (I personally did not see this as I'd kept my eyes on my book to make sure he didn't take an interest in me again). It took a couple of minutes to get through to the man as he'd gotten defensive because he felt his story was important(it was something about his being in the army or something if memory serves), but she she handled it like a pro, like perhaps she is or at one time was a teacher or a nurse. She remained gentle the whole time.

My point is that at least these two gentlemen, and one mildly mentally retarded at that knew that when someone is engaged in a solitary activity it means they are uninterested in social interaction. That's why I wonder if the man you dealt with has mental retardation because that seems like something that would only be unclear to someone with a certain level of mental retardation.