Overhearing Airplane Small Talk Is The Worst

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My parents work in aviation and my specialty within my field involves me being around large yachts and airplanes all the time... Then my parents usually own a airplane, they buy and sell them (side business, that I am involved in).

Smoking in an enclosed public space & (re)arming passengers...

I hate planes
I hate the old men who travel a lot

I was once on a plane coming from Dubai with my family, for my sister's wedding, and an old guy sitting next to me kept rubbing his leg against mine. Turns out he thought I was an international sex worker and tried to win my sympathy by talking about his dead wife. Everyone around us over heard and were staring at me when I returned back to my seat (I moved to the back for like 3 hours)

So now I have a fear of flying to and/or from certain countries.

I hate background noise and crowded places, full stop. I find it incredibly difficult to concentrate and focus on a conversation in such environments.

I flew to Reno with my boss for an aerospace materials course. (Schools have their reasons for locating there. . .) He sat next to a woman who really looked like a bargain-bin escort, but she convinced him that she was a commercial pilot.

If you think that small talk on plane is the "worst", OP, then it seems to me that you must be living a charmed life. Being badly burned in a plane crash might qualify though, or breaking your neck and becoming crippled from the neck down. I have known people to whom these things happened, and in the scheme of horrors, I find it hard to rate yours as even making the list.

I hate ageism, but there are worse things.

Love the support, your ASD issues aren’t that bad. You could be paralyzed, count yourself blessed!

Indeed I do, having watched that person suffer so much.

I don’t see how telling someone who makes a post about something being annoying and difficult due to a disability. That another disability is worse and theirs is a picnic in the park... It’s not helpful. Mental disabilities can be just as, sometimes more disabling then a physical one.

I’m not sure how bad this affects the OP, but I seen some with ASD be truly disabling in small crowded areas.

Keeping things in perspective and not sweating the small stuff is (I think) important and perhaps especially for people with disabilities. Life has its minor annoyances for all of us, NT or not.

Perspective is fine where solutions are not requested or as a last resort when they're unavailable.
And it's probably best offered as an account of how/what things are good rather than how/what could be worse.
Otherwise, it runs the risk of being dismissive while also enticing the sufferer to feel guilty over their genuine concerns.

This may not be the small stuff for the OP or others. I can’t handle sports bars and many large events, concerts are very difficult for me. Air travel can be a bit, but thankfully I found reasonable solutions. As said earlier, Bose noise canceling headphones and booking first class, if possible I will fly private. By booking first class, depending on the airline. The seats are very private and roomy. With the headphones, I can easily isolate myself throughout the flight. With first class, you get access to a more private lodge at the airport. I can see how small talk, combined with sensory issues could be overwhelming for some when on a airplane.

Everyone is different, ones annoyance can be crushing for another.