Tired of warding off uber curious locals or over eager fellow tourists? I sympathize. When on the road, a lone traveler can be a target for unwanted company.
When you are alone, you are less intimidating compared to others traveling in a group. Also, your lack of company can be interpreted as a desire for one. Others, which include me, welcome serendipitous contacts with strangers. However, there are those who just want to be left alone. If you are one of the latter, you can employ the following means to avoid unwanted company.
Most often, unwanted company happens when someone shares a seat with you in a bus, a train or a bar. You can avoid dealing with unwelcome strangers by placing a book, a bag or whatever you have with you on the empty seat. It sends a very clear message that you don’t want anyone sitting beside you and you want to be left alone.
However, there are times when you have to share a seat especially when riding a public transportation. If this happens and you don’t want to be disturbed by incessant chatting, you can always play dead to the world by pretending to snooze. I do this when I am tired and needs some shut-eye before I arrive to my next destination. Your seatmate usually respects sleep and will leave you alone.
How about if you can’t keep still or the situation does not allow you to pretend sleeping? You can always bury yourself in a book or pretend not to understand the language. Wearing earphones or earbuds from your music player also seems to work!
Some other ways to make you look pre-occupied and busy while sitting down on a restaurant or a park include working on your laptop like you are pursuing a deadline. Scribbling on a notebook also does the trick.
What if you are already drawn into a conversation and you want to get out of it? You can always politely excuse yourself. Inform the person you are talking to that you have an appointment or that you need to move on to your next destination to stay on schedule.
However, if you want to be more subtle about it, then pretend to answer a phone (in silent mode of course to explain the absence of a ring tone). You can say you need to meet a friend who just called.
I am not saying that you have to lie your way out of an unwanted company. But, sometimes, when the situation calls for it, you just have to do it. However, you want to keep in mind that when you handle situations like these, you need to stay polite but firm. It helps to avoid offending a person who really has nothing but friendly intentions.
It’s a different matter if you already feel harassed and attacked by the unwanted company. If you need to call for other people’s help, do so. It will scare your attacker and will surely leave you alone.
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