This Is the One Innovation That Might Make Flying Less of a Pain

When a simple shushing sound won’t suffice, flyers can now send chatty Cathy’s a more pointed message with the B-Tourist, a portable curtain that silently screams “do not disturb.” The elastic curtain, designed by Idan Noyberg and Gal Bulka, can be stretched between headrests to the back and the front of the passenger, thereby creating a cocoon of privacy around the passenger’s head.

Pouches sown into the curtain offer extra storage space for personal items, like pepper spray, and the flexible fabric can serve double-duty as a headrest, putting an end to that awkward moment when you wake up with your head resting on your neighbor’s shoulder, and vice versa. And if the user gets into a more sociable mood, plastic rings can scrunch the curtain into a taut little line, signaling a willingness to engage in eye contact and perhaps even a smidge of small talk about the weather.