(excerpt)

Whenever we travel, we come into contact with new people. Often these interactions remain basic and simple, with us exchanging just the bare minimum of information necessary to complete our interaction, like when checking in for a flight. "Good morning, traveling to San Francisco today?" "Yes." "May I see your photo ID?" "Sure." "Any baggage to check?" "Yes, two pieces." "Two pieces." "Yes." "Okay, you're all set. Departure is from gate sixteen, and boarding begins in fifteen minutes." "Thank you." This kind of interaction gets repeated all along the way, at the newsstand, coffee stand, airport shuttle counter, hotel reception desk, and so on.

I take secret pleasure in keeping these interactions as perfunctory as possible. Getting drawn into any conversation with a stranger beyond the bare minimum is risky. You never know what you might hear, and there's always the danger that the person might want to talk longer than I would. Which is why we all complain about the times we get seated next to someone on a flight who won't leave us alone. You know the type -- no matter how private and inconspicuous we try to be, they sooner or later find a way to start up a conversation, and they won't take any of our hints that we're not interested in talking.