The worst question you've been asked by a tablemate...

[mafig]

They asked for our address and phone number so they would have someplace to stay the next time they visited Florida.:eek:

[Cruiser Forever]

They asked for our address and phone number so they would have someplace to stay the next time they visited Florida.:eek:

 

 

 

OUCH!! How weird. :eek: How could anyone ask that question. They could be ax murderer for all you know. You should Never ask that to a stranger. I'd give them the address to the Hilton or Holiday Inn across town. That is plain crazy..•:(

[mafig]

My husband's mouth dropped open, but I laughed like it was a big joke.

 

They never asked again, but we were nervous that they would.

 

Now, on our last cruise, one of our tablemates invited the whole table to stay at his house if they were ever in his area. We thought of him when we were evacuating due to Hurricane Ivan. We said "too bad we didn't take down so and so's address - lol." We have also seen people in the dining room give their addresses out to their waiters.

[brn2crz]

I just realized,that except for one of my cruises,I have always been with a large group,and knew everyone at my table.The only one that I was only with one other person,was about 17 years ago on Norway...I don't even remember much about the DR.....On our Mariner sailing Oct 05...it is just me,DH &DS...

I have been REALLLY looking forward to doing one without all the hassle of a group....Now...I don't know...theres something to be said for familiarity:D :eek:

[pedirn]

FrankiRN How well I understand. I work pediatric oncology and it always brings out the comments. So I have learned....I either just work at a hospital or if pushed will say I am a pedi nurse. But worse than the "how could you do that kind of work" are the requests for medical advice.

[darchibald]

"So Dave.......What do you do for a living?"

"I'm a Rectum Stretcher..........................."

He He He

:D

[bUU]

The worst question? "Are we supposed to tip these waiters?"

[bpear1600]

As I read this thread I am seriously thinking of getting a table for two next cruise. :)

 

The last couple of cruises we've been stuck with people who only open their mouths to stuff food into them. They show up late, holding everybody up and then leave before dessert. Conversation? Forget it.

 

Yes, in an effort to stimulate some kind of talk (who wants to sit for three hours and say nothing?) I've committed the unforgivable sin of asking the guy next to me what he does. Usually, he doesn't take offense or give me a smart remark and sometimes it opens he or she up so that conversation becomes natural. And every once in a while he will go on for three hours about what he does. Me, I just tell them I'm retired and if they ask from what I say the insurance business. Nobody wants to talk about that including me.

[LoriLinay]

I usually take my cruises with my ex-husband. Weird, I know. But we often cruise with just the 2 of us. We've been divorced for 10 years. We use that time to regroup, talk about the kids, and just have some down time.

 

So imagine the questions we get when people ask "how long have you been married?" And we answer "We're divorced"

 

2 cruises ago, we had a super nice honeymooning couple at our table and they actually asked us on our last night for some marital advice. They said that they hoped their marriage was as great as our divorce!! People always seem so fascinated that we don't hate each other.

 

But there really is such an odd line between being interested and being inappropriate. I love to know about people. That's just who I am. I learn from everyone that I meet. So I'm sure I've asked questions that are purely for me to expand my mind, but have been perceived as too nosy.

 

I like to hear about different occupations. I like to hear about where people live. But no, I don't give a crap about who they voted for!!!

[Rubia_Boricua_PR]

I still don't understand why people want to know what u do for a living or how much you make a year. I never ask either question unless we are asked. We are in the casino business so of course u know that they always ask us, what do you think, casino's cheat or what? And we always say, well at our casino we can't cheat since we are regulated by gaming commission but you always find the ones that try to cheat or steal but they always get caught. And many times my dh find gambling buddies since he loves it so much (gambling, he's so vicious)and people not always know how to play some of the games.

[HorrorFan]

I think it is just to make conversation in a lot of cases. I am absolutely useless with small talk, especially with strangers, so I can understand why those questions would be asked.

[LoriLinay]

Isn't it the "7 habits of highly effective people" that talks about asking people WHO they are, and not WHAT they do? I loved that. I sincerely try and say to people "So tell me about yourself". Unfortunately though, 95% of the time, they answer with....I am a...or...I work for....

 

My job (or lack thereof right now) has little to do with who I am. I would love to be one of those lucky few who have a great passion for their careers.

[hstrybuf]

I guess I'm lucky to have never had a tablemate ask me anything rude or strange, at least not so bad that I remember. I'm just hoping I never get some of the ones the rest of you have had! :eek:

 

A lot of conversations with strangers seem to start with "Where are you from?" or "What do you do." However, I refuse to talk about sex, money, politics or religion with strangers. With my friends, bring it on! :D

[LoriLinay]

I've been very lucky too. All our dinner tables have been with GREAT people that we still keep in touch with, or wet rags that had nearly nothing to say. So no conflict in either place.

 

But's it's always been the lunches and breakfasts in the dining room that get us!

[michigal]

In December 2000 we were seated with the sister of one of George W. Bush's close personal advisors. The election results had just been finalized, and she said her brother was expecting to be given either a cabinet position or a very high level position on Bush's staff. Well, he got it (and he's still there). I try to leave politics home when I vacation, but I must admit it made our dinner conversations rather interesting.

[MtnBikerFallDown]

The worst I heard, was thankfully NOT directed at me. We had a lady who was very overweight at our table for breakfast one morning on Explorer of the Seas. We were at Labadee, and she was talking about she and her husband going on the wave runners. The man across from her goes, "Well, you guys will have to get two runners, they have weight limits and you'd go over them if you rode together." I wanted to just hit him between the eyes with my croissant. Rude much?

 

The poor lady just goes, "oh, that was our plan." But, they didn't eat much and left quickly. The rest of the table just cold-shouldered the rude man. Not that he noticed. They never do...

[Kami's pal]

I taught special needs students for many years. Every cruise one distressed parent or grandparent needs to have a little talk about a dear child. I don't mind those talks. Sometimes I need to come out of retirement too.

 

But I do mind the discussion that starts, "Present company excluded, but what do teachers ..." And I did have to avoid that person last cruise too. I've learned long ago that I won't be able to change that point of view.

[judyinar]

For the life of me, I can't figure out what's rude about asking what a person's career field is. It seems to come after "where are you from?" I agree it's rude to ask personal questions and to get free advice, etc. or to monopolize the conversation and bore everyone to death.

I suppose if a person wants to embellish his life, he's free to do so, but I thought we were looking for a bit of common ground since we will be spending a week or more eating meals next to these people.

 

Feel free to ask me what I do - NOTHING, I'm a retired schoolteacher! Not a whole lot to say about that...but I'll try. LOL

 

Judy

[Rubia_Boricua_PR]

Feel free to ask me what I do - NOTHING, I'm a retired schoolteacher! Not a whole lot to say about that...but I'll try. LOL

 

Judy

 

 

I see your point of view but you see once you are retired they wont ask you for much advice especially to a teacher since whatever they didn't learn in school they wont learn now, lol...But sometime people do get too personal especially asking how much they make. I hate when people ask me that and actually it surprises me that someone would want to know. At work, i do wonder about some of these players, of course, they spend thousands and thousands per hands and you got to wonder but you wont ask unless they actually say something.

[judyinar]

I wouldn't dream of asking how much money someone makes or how much something costs, etc. Some things are truly a mark of bad manners!

 

However...(here we go...) I love playing video poker and play as often as possible.I've practiced long and hard for the past several years and have done quite well. (Lucky, I guess.) I'm quite sure I would "bend your ear" on casino stuff... (not, however, about cheating casinos).

 

So you're fortunate I'm not at your table, I suppose, but you have to admit - that IS a common ground.

 

Judy

[beachchick]

For the life of me, I can't figure out what's rude about asking what a person's career field is.

 

Feel free to ask me what I do - NOTHING, I'm a retired schoolteacher! Not a whole lot to say about that...but I'll try. LOL

 

Judy

 

 

It is not rude to ask what a person's career field is. What can be rude is the response to a person's answer.

 

If someone would prefer not to talk about their job and answers, "I'd rather discuss something else," the original "asker" is typically offended (personal experience). Then you get, "why don't you want to tell us what you do? are you ashamed of it? blah, blah, blah." The fact is that I am disabled. When I travel I am trying to get away from the day-to-day minutia of my life as much as possible. This includes my disability. Travelling in itself is a triumph for us--we never know if we'll be able to go or if we'll have to go home early...let's just say we always have travel insurance and have used it more than once.

 

In my experience, if I respond to that question with my pre-disability career, the next questions are always, "whom do you work for? what are you doing now?" So I'm left in the same scenario as if I said, "I am disabled and can't work any longer." Then I get the personally invading questions about what's wrong with me, will I get better, how do I feel--all the stuff I'm trying to get away from for a little while. Now, the asker might feel he or she is just being interested, but I feel it is "none of your business." But then I'm perceived as rude if I won't answer, so I can't win.

 

So you see, some of us would simply prefer not to discuss careers or jobs. It's not snobbiness or anything, we are simply trying to take a break from the "real world."

 

beachchick

[stillfrantic]

After you've asked my husband what he does, if you really want to know about higher education administration, endowment performance and tuition structuring, I'm sure he'll answer your questions and not be offended.;) Finance....It's always a party going on in that department.:D

[cruzincurt]

Not really a question but a warning. Once at breakfast a woman and her 2 year old kiddo were seated across from us. She then proceeded to warn us that her kiddo always throws up after eating. .....She was right of course. I think it was all of that apple juice.

[LoriLinay]

Oh frantic...I just laughed so hard! As a tax analyst/auditor, I too am just a laugh a minute when asked about work! ZZzzzzzzz......

[bUU]

It is possible to express interest in what folks are saying, through your responses to what they tell you, without using questions that would dig deeper, and I feel that would be a bit safer -- less likely to end up in a minefield where both and/or would become uncomfortable.

 

It isn't quite as easy going the other direction. The whole point of discussion is volunteering information about yourself, either facts or your perceptions, knowledge, etc. That's where the list of dangerous topics becomes most valuable to me -- as things to not volunteer about myself.