Arguments over seat space while traveling are more common than you think. It’s a sore topic for many internet users who cannot believe how entitled some fellow passengers behave.
Redditor u/NoPomegranate4794 recently went viral after sharing how she dealt with a fellow plane passenger who had no understanding of how much room he’d taken up. Read on for the full story and the internet’s reactions, as shared on the r/pettyrevenge subreddit. Bored Panda has reached out to the author via Reddit and we’ll update the article as soon as we hear back from her.
Some passengers aren't aware of how much space they take up on the plane. Others know, but they won't stop manspreading
Image credits: cottonbro studio / Pexels (not the actual photo)
One woman shared how she got revenge against an entitled man on a recent flight
Image credits: Joan Costa / Pexels (not the actual photo)
Image credits: Daniel McCullough / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
Image credits: NoPomegranate4794
Everything should start with diplomacy. Your fellow passengers need to know when they've crossed the line
We personally love, love, love flying. Honestly, we might over-romanticize the whole thing! But there’s something magical about going on an adventure, with strangers all around you, soaring through the sky with a weird snack and a tasty drink to keep you company.
Some of our favorite in-flight activities include reading books (we picked them up at the airport bookshop), napping, doing sudoku, napping, and daydreaming while looking out the plane window. We’ll definitely chat with our fellow passengers if they’re feeling up to it, but it’s not like we’ll be forcing them to be social if they clearly want to be left alone.
Something that happens from time to time is that a passenger in front of us reclines their seat way too much. Or someone next to us starts taking up our legroom or pushing their elbow into our space.
We get it, commercial flights are pretty cramped these days. Everyone wants to feel comfortable, not like they’re a sardine packed in a tin. However, if their behavior is genuinely intrusive, our go-to approach is to politely bring up the issue and ask if they could move their seat/leg/elbow/whatever.
Most times that works! The vast majority of passengers aren’t being malicious. Some folks simply don’t realize that they’re inconveniencing anyone else. They’ll probably be horrified that they were taking up your space, apologize, and do what they can to make things right.
Image credits: Pew Nguyen / Pexels (not the actual photo)
If things get really bad, it might be best to ask the flight crew to mediate the situation
Unfortunately, some people feel entitled to your space. They’ll either ignore you or get mad that you’d even ask them to change what they’re doing.
According to ‘FlyerTalk,’ one way to tackle these awkward situations before they get worse is to try to solve them preemptively. For instance, if someone’s hogging most of your space, address the problem before the plane leaves.
If someone’s very tall or wide and actually needs more room, the flight staff might be able to find them an empty spot (or two) elsewhere. Well, hopefully.
Alternatively, you could simply be honest and tell the person that you can help them talk to the flight crew and find them another, roomier spot on the plane.
However, if it’s someone who’s average-sized, then it all comes down to navigating their entitled behavior. If diplomacy, subtlety, and tact don’t work, simply ask them to move. However, try to refrain from getting angry. You have to be the one in control here.
When a flight attendant goes past your aisle, ask them to mediate the situation. Explain that you’re not comfortable, it’s not safe for you to be sitting all squashed in, and ask them how you should proceed. Hopefully, this will be an awkward enough situation to get your fellow rude passengers to keep their body parts to themselves.
At the end of the day, whatever happens, remember that the flight will be over in just a few hours.
Image credits: Lina Kivaka / Pexels (not the actual photo)
The internet really enjoyed the story. Here's how some people reacted to the plane drama
Some readers shared similar stories from their own past
