Airline staff waking passengers for meals

[22s]

Is this a new thing?

I fly Emirates long haul 2 - 4 x a month for work (sadly in economy as it's my company and I'm too stingy to pay for business).

I usually take the red eye and all I want to do is get on, sleep, then wake up at the other end.

This has worked for quite some time, but recently (the last 6 months or so), the staff seem intent on waking me up for the meal. I have a neck pillow, eye mask, and headphones on - i.e. clearly asleep or trying to be - but they insist on poking me or grabbing my shoulder to ask if I want to eat (to which the answer is always 'no').

This is really starting to hack me off, but I can't tell if I'm being unreasonable (maybe some people want to be woken to eat, although I doubt it?) or if they're breaking plane etiquette/being morons by waking me up?

If the latter, apart from telling them at the start and the message probably getting lost between the 15 staff in the cabin, or stitching "don't fking wake me up" into my eye mask, is there a way I can avoid being disturbed? Or am I doomed to an eternity of disturbed slumber?

[22s]

GiantEnemyCrab said:

.... have you tried asking them (like you mention in your post)?

Or a post it on your nose.

No. I like the post-it idea.

Tbh I'm more interested as to whether the waking up is normal or not.

And I also just felt like having a moan today.

[22s]

GT03ROB said:

Get yourself one of these

https://www.amazon.com/Not-Disturb-Mask-Wedding-To...

Tried and tested?

[22s]

Looks like I've been getting away with it until now then!

Maybe I've lost weight and they think I now need feeding. Or more likely put some on and they think fatty will have a tantrum if not fed.

I remember those Emirates stickers but they stopped them years ago!