I'd rather not end up with my spleen displayed in a mason jar in some weirdo's living room, even theoretically.

The question: Who would you rather be seated next to on a daylong bus trip: a talkative person with a really irritating voice, or a quiet person who keeps staring at you?

This one's a toughie.

A lot depends on how good a conversation the irritating talker is capable of. I can get past an irritating voice if there's at least some intelligence behind it.

Also, a lot depends on the definition of "irritating." Are we talking squeaky? Too slow? Low talker? ('Cause if it's a low talker, I'm out. Too hard to carry on a conversation if you can't hear the other side, and I don't think talking to somebody should involve that much work.) Weird laugh? Stutter? Voice like a carton-a-day smoker? I mean, "irritating" can mean a lot of things.

On the other hand, "staring" can mean a lot of things, too. I'm assuming we mean that creepy kind of "I'd like to watch you in the shower" or "I'm thinking about chopping you into tiny pieces and storing the bits in my freezer after I rape your dead body" kind of stare and not the "I'm too shy to say anything, but I find you totally captivating" or "hey, you've got a booger hanging out of your nose" kind of stare.

So, assuming that we're pitting "squeaky voice but intelligent convo" against "probably a serial killer plotting my demise," I'll definitely go with the irritating talker.

I'd rather not end up with my spleen displayed in a mason jar in some weirdo's living room, even theoretically.