People love to talk.

We love to talk about our feelings, local gossip, who’s hooking up with who, how we weren’t invited to a person’s party, how little we care about what that bitch thinks of us, our family dramas and our life stories. And we talk about all these things and then some anywhere, anytime and with anyone. However, when you are riding the ESCAPE bus home, and there are other people trying to sleep, narrating every little thing you hate about your roommate might not be such a good idea.

As much as I love returning home for the holidays, the one thing I hate is having to ride on the ESCAPE bus because there is always some girl (and yes, it’s always a girl) that just can’t shut up. It is for this reason only that I sometimes wish I went to school closer to home, or far enough away to fly home instead. To be honest, I am sometimes guilty of talking more than I should, but some people take it to such an extreme level that you have to wonder — do these people really think that this kind of behavior is acceptable? Do they think that all the people who are trying to sleep won’t mind if you’re trying to kill time by blabbering away with your friend?

What is especially idiotic is that these girls often talk about very private and sensitive things — things that can be used against them if a ticked-off fellow bus-rider (like myself) wanted a little sweet revenge. With all the scandalous gossip that I unintentionally overhear, I can probably make their lives very miserable, and sometimes, it can be pretty tempting. Imagine if I just randomly called the girl’s mother and divulged a few details of her conversation: “Hello, your daughter’s still dating that boy that you don’t approve of, and oh yeah, her boyfriend called you a witch with a ‘B.’” I think that blabbermouth would think twice before blabbing in public again.

Now, I’m not just writing this article to complain (though, don’t get me wrong, I totally am complaining here). I’m also here to give voice to all the other people out there who have been put into situations like mine, where the people sitting behind them in the bus just can’t stop talking, and who are not confrontational enough to do anything about it. I am probably the least confrontational person in the world, which is probably why I’m writing this column instead of mouthing off at those annoying girls.

Now, I beg you all — please, please, please, do us all a favor and do not hog the whole trip with your annoying voice. It’s okay to listen to music and watch movies on your laptop (provided that you are using headphones and the volume isn’t blasting), and quick conversations on the phone and with your immediate neighbors are acceptable. But don’t overdo it, because you never know, someone might actually be listening and plotting a way to get back at you. Keep this in mind when you return home for winter break.