A note to passengers who choose the aisle seat: don’t be grumpy when your seatmates ask you to get up so they can use the lavatory or grab something from their bag. It’s uncouth.
Hey Aisle Seat Passengers, Don’t Be Grumpy When Seatmate Has To Use Lavatory!
A passenger flying on United Airlines from Orlando (MCO) to Los Angeles (LAX) shared his frustration with his seatmate for expressing annoyance when he had to go out to use the lavatory two hours into the flight:
Was flying transcontinental this morning, and about 2 hours into the flight, I asked the gentleman seated in the aisle if I could get out to go to the bathroom. The guy wasn’t sleeping and was playing a game on his phone. He begrudgingly got out of his seat, and as I was getting out he decided to ridicule me to his wife (who was sitting in row across from us) that it was rude of me to ask him to get up and he also said that everyone should go to the bathroom before getting on the plane. To the dude in 12C into LAX from Orlando this morning, either don’t be grumpy, or don’t pick an aisle seat.
Yes indeed, either don’t be grumpy or don’t pick an aisle seat. It’s absolutely rude to complain if someone has to get up.
I know some people have XL bladders (like my seatmate from London to LA who never once got up during the 11-hour flight), but most do not and some have to get up often, whether due to medication or simply for drinking a cup of coffee after takeoff. If you choose an aisle seat, you should be very aware of what you have gotten yourself into…people do have to get up and if you have a problem with that, take a window seat next time.
Now someone who knows they have to get up often should take an aisle seat…that’s true as well…but that’s not the point here and the context of this discussion is about a man who got up once during a five-hour flight and was openly ridiculed for doing so.
Being passive-aggressive is so childish, but I can’t deny that I would have been tempted to get up every 15 minutes had some jerk given me lip for using the lavatory two hours into a flight…
Sounds like the window pax could at least offer a choice to the aggrieved aisle; either get up or window pax could accommodate him AI or AA ‘style’ by ‘taking care of business’ right there on the spot ! Hopefully the flight wasn’t too turbulent, spilling the contents of a nearby beverage on the aisle occupant (maybe a more realistic option #3 ! )…
People can be such A-holes, especially when traveling …
Another simple solution. Ask Grumpy which he would prefer … getting up, or have me crawling over him dragging my arse across his face. Seems to be a no brainer. People like Grumpy should take a Greyhound.
I once had a pax in thecwindow seat AKL-IAH who never used the lav (I confirmed with middle-seat sitter she never got up when I was out of seat).
It’s a sad feature of all-too-common human nature. If you urinate more frequently than I, if you eat more than I, if you’re taller or shorter than I, etc., you’re wrong. Old George Carlin line: “anybody driving slower than you is an idiot, and anyone going faster than you is a maniac.”
The other is you make choices on tradeoffs (like the aisle gives me easier access to the lav, but no view and I need to move for others to use the lav). Once you make your choice, you are entitled to all the plusses and shouldn’t have to deal with the minuses. It’s very child-like. “Yes, Mom, I know if I wat my cookie now, I won’t have one for later……[later] I need a cookie!!!” “I know that you’ll give me the money to get my arts degree and I’ll have to pay back with interest in the future……CANCEL STUDENT LOAN DEBT!!!”
If occasionally having to stand up makes you grumpy and obnoxious, I cannot imagine how such a person survives the day.
Just ignore them and enjoy your life.
The person in the aisle seat doesn’t realize that the guy who got had to go to the Lav did him a favor. Reduced his odds of getting a cramp in his legs or even having a blood clot in his legs.
Bingo! You win the internets today.
You’ve paid to sit in the seat for the entirety of the flight, so an aisle passenger is actually under zero obligation to get up (unless instructed by FA). Anyone who is concerned by their bladder should pay more for aisle.
Oh that;s a great idea … Every time a window pax needs to get up, just ring the F/A call button have him/her ask the aisle pax on window’s behalf to get up … WTF ? …. Good for a laugh at least … Too bad you weren’t next to that AI or AA window pax who didn’t bother to disturb you !
Hi, passenger in 12C.
This has to seriously be the most asinine take on this topic possible.
Noa….That’s bull !! What’s wrong with your manners?? If I’m sitting on the isle, which I do prefer, there would never be a problem of getting up and letting someone out of my row…….I don’t own the row! What part of courtesy don’t you understand??
Ridiculous argument. So if you’re in the aisle seat of a row of 30 people at a sporting event or concert., would you also deny passage to all those on the inside of you?
Alas, human decency continues to diminish.
I like the aisle seat on long-haul international flights and the window on domestic flights. Each selection involves a trade-off. A person should know that beforehand and not complain when the trade-off kicks in.