It was an evening flight. As usual, the time from boarding to taxiing out on the runway took at least a half hour. Everyone was quiet. Almost everyone. Across the aisle a woman had on a handheld device and was relentlessly working the phone.

She wasn’t a screamer. Just a steady voice making one call after another.

I didn’t escape to my headphones. I wanted to hear if the captain had any word about the weather and the trip time or any complications. People often miss the point that blocking out distractions includes blocking out flight information.

What struck me is that I heard every word she said even though I didn’t want to hear any words she said. As did at least a dozen people around me.

When we began to pull away from the gate she finally gave way.

I can’t imagine flights where the talking never stops. And a booming male voice could

actually drive you insane.