I don't often like to rant online, but when I do, you can be sure I'm right royally annoyed. Usually, I'm fairly chilled, but there's many things that bug me about travelling, and all of them involve other people. It's no wonder I try my best to steer clear of them, and particularly sorts of people - and yes, you can usually tell.

Take now, for instance, as I'm taking advantage of the reception before we enter the wild waters of the Bass Strait on the ferry between Tasmania and mainland Australia. It's busy, and granted, not easy to find a seat. I purposefully headed for the quiet reading room, which has SIGNS, goddammit, SIGNS, that say it's for people who like to quietly read. There's a family of six here - two parents, three kids, and a baby. I can live with the kids - they're quietly reading and colouring. And I can live with babies gurgles. I honestly don't mind children and I appreciate how hard it can be to travel with them.

How hard can it be to find a peaceful spot without people noise?

But a muscial toy? Are you kidding me? I'm on this ferry all day. Does this baby not have OTHER toys? Why does it have to be a musical one? It's the most wildly irritating thing I can think of.

So I went and said, politely, no offence, but this is meant to be a quiet area. Do you think you can tone it down on the musical instruments? She did not take it kindly. In fact, she was quite vicious towards me. This is why people don't complain to their neighbours and go straight to authorities. People can't take it on the chin.

Perhaps it's just me with noise. I do try to mind my reactions because after all, I'm responsible for my own happiness. But I will never, ever understand how you can be quietly eating lunch watching the view and someone will park right next to you with the engine running and their conversation on speaker phone.

Same with those lovely quiet camps you find, settling down to listen to the music of nature - the birds, the waves on the shore. Then some dickheads arrive, set up camp and start playing their music like we all appreciate latin fusion jazz or hard rock or doof as we enjoy the loveliness of nature. Just because you like your music, doesn't mean that everyone else does.

A quiet camp some years ago

I think what drives me wild is that people just don't seem to have a) any self awareness of their impact on others, and/or b) don't care that their behaviour has an impact on others. The second is clearly worse.

I do understand that people have different ways of enjoying their holidays, and for some, it involves rocking up with a case of beer and putting on some tunes and having beers with mates into the wee hours of the morning, but to not think about how your noise affects others, well, that's a different story.

Anyway, she finally found another spot for her family, not without spinning around to glare and tell me that I was discourteous and it's hard enough to travel with children without unhelpful people like me. I responded that sorry, I was polite about it, but the musical toy was too much, and that it wasn't her children I objected to, but the noise of the toy. Now I'm the bad guy, lol!

Damned if you do, damned if you don't, as they say. But bottom line, be aware of your personal space - yours and your families - and think about how they might affect others. If you don't care, well, that says something about who you are as well.

Anyway, the cosmic jokes on me - they have moved just outside the quiet reading area, so I can still hear that bloody musical toy.

Time for the noise cancelling headphones.