JFF How Do You Get Out of Awkward Conversation/people That Keep Talking?

I actually feel really bad about this because I said this to a girl who was totally shy and kind of latched onto me because I was the only person who would talk to her, but I finally interrupted one of her rants and said 'OMG do you write a blog?! No?! I think you should... I think you should start RIGHT NOW'... and I walked away.

Yeah, don't do that. Totally rude. I just felt trapped at the time and didn't know what else to do! You could always say something like 'I'm sorry to interrupt, but I've really got to go to the bathroom/ call my mom/ pick up a friend/....

fart then walk away.

you tell those people, I can be one of them!, that you have about 30 min to talk so make it good! they should get the hint and keep it short, if they know it is going to take longer they will move on to someone with more time or they will condense it. So, once you have identified one of these people in the future give them a time limit at the start, if you have to in the middle remind them or initiate this time limit if it is a rare offender.

You politely interrupt them and say, I have 5 more minutes to chat, but then I really have to get back to work/get going to an appointment/pick my kids up/go to the bathroom/wash my hair....

When 5 mins is up, cut them off and say, "I hate to interrupt your story, but I gotta xxx now, it was great chatting, talk to you later!"

My best friend and I have an agreement that if we need to get out of a situation, we just text "CALL ME" and when we get the call, our end sounds something like "you sound upset, what's wrong? (pause) oh, no! Of course I'll be there in 10 minutes, don't worry." When we hang up, we just say - oh, that was my best friend and she needs me to pick her daughter up at school. I've only really had to use this once when I was in the middle of a very uncomfortable lunch gathering. I sent the text from the bathroom and when I got back to the table - ring, ring.

"It was nice talking to you. I really have to go now." If the person keeps talking, I walk away.

: ) You seem really sweet. The best friend (or any friend who'd do it) text is a good idea!

LOL I was that woman a few times when I was totally desperate for friends.
Now I have people doing it to me.

I hope you get some good ideas. I could use them too.

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I have to do this from time to time. There's someone in my neck of the woods who tells me she "processes verbally" and love to talk about herself. She also tells me that "it doesn't matter who I'm talking to, really", which pissed me off momentarily, but then freed me up from any guilt or obligation. I have to pay someone by the hour if I want to ramble on like that!

I often just tell her "I have to cut this short because (my son needs me, time to make dinner.... anything factual. I mean, who has all day to stand around, right? We all have a legitimate something else to do!) I hope the rest of your day is good!" smile and part ways.

Now that you know she's likely to get into a long conversation, Kristina's suggestion is perfect: let her know you only have "x" amount of time to talk, and then go when you say you need to go. Hopefully, she'll be appreciative for the ear and won't take it personally. If she does, well, that's about *her*.

That is the worst! I also can't stand it when people don't know when to shut their traps! This just happened to me yesterday. I struck up a conversation with my son's bus driver (he was a sub) and the man wouldn't shut up! He kept talking about movies he took his grandson to, and the worst part was that he was a s-l-o-w t-a-l-k-e-r, which made him take even longer to convey what he was trying to say. He took long pauses, too, trying to think of movie titles. Arg!!! The whole time, I stood there listening, nodding my head and saying "uh-huh," wondering when he was going to drive off (since he was a sub, he arrived at our house late, making the kids late for school with his rants to me - totally unaware of the time). FINALLY, the assistant on the bus said to him, "We have to go!" Thank God!!!

So, I am wondering why this girl kept talking to you as you were typing this post!!! She didn't care that she didn't have your undivided attenion? Next time, don't sit next to her, and if it happens with someone else, make up an excuse and leave!

Two quick ways, look at your watch and say "I'm sorry but I need to be somewhere in a half hour, could we finish this over coffee tomorrow?" or excuse me I really have to go to the bathroom, she may follow you, but then you could use the other suggestion.

"It was nice talking with you, but I have a meeting- gotta run!"

Ha ha @ the fart and walk away answer! My husband and I are both really quiet people, so we seem to attract those kinds of friends. It's soo difficult, they come over and will sit there and go on and on sometimes past our bedtime. I have a five month old and he will be crying cause it's his bedtime, and I'll even tell them I gotta put him to bed and they still won't shut up! He used to like to sleep in the livingroom because he liked being close by, but now he likes being in the bedroom cause then he can get some proper sleep without having to listen to our friends yabber on! At times they have even tried to follow me into the bedroom! I've finally just started walking away in the middle of the conversation, and say I'll be back in ten minutes or so. :s

Updated

Ha ha @ the fart and walk away answer! My husband and I are both really quiet people, so we seem to attract those kinds of friends. It's soo difficult, they come over and will sit there and go on and on sometimes past our bedtime. I have a five month old and he will be crying cause it's his bedtime, and I'll even tell them I gotta put him to bed and they still won't shut up! He used to like to sleep in the livingroom because he liked being close by, but now he likes being in the bedroom cause then he can get some proper sleep without having to listen to our friends yabber on! At times they have even tried to follow me into the bedroom! I've finally just started walking away in the middle of the conversation, and say I'll be back in ten minutes or so. :s

We have a neighbor like this. And he studders too so it is a double whammy...nice guy but it is so hard to go outside sometimes bc he finds whomever is outside and gets their ear. Most of the neighbors know this and now we learn to give a few minutes and then call out to one another..."Oh Jane, your daughter is looking for you...she just called on the phone" Or "Oh, can you come in for a second, I have some of your mail that was in my mailbox"...If someone else in your class or group of friends can help with this, maybe this can help sometimes. I don't know why some people do this...they KNOW they are doing this too. I think sometimes it is almost a game for them to see how long they can get your ear.
It really plays on people's good nature.

Good luck!