Airline seats are funny things…rather than your seat being your seat, you get access to the back of one seat and the front of the one behind it. But what happens when you find an obnoxious seatmate who wants to take more…and what happens when flight attendants fail to intervene, as occurred on a recent Alaska Airlines flight?
Obnoxious Seatmate On Alaska Airlines Had To Be Asked FIVE Times To Remove His Coat…From His Neighbor’s Seatback
A passenger draped his coat behind his seat. It partially covered the seatback behind him, including the tray table. Even on an aircraft without seatback screens, that represents an unacceptable intrusion into the personal space of your seatmate.
She hoped a flight attendant would intervene and many passed by, but none confronted the passenger for his poor behavior. Finally, she asked him directly.
I politely asked, and had to repeat it 5 times cos he wasn’t answering and kept ignoring me. The person next to him politely repeated it to him and he was pretty pissed about it but finally moved it. I don’t understand how people lack common sense and etiquette.
…I wish it was that simple to ignore my social anxiety sometimes. I did end up mustering the courage and asked him because I got super irritated, but I had a feeling he wasn’t going to be nice about it and my gut feeling was right. Which is why I was hesitant in the first place.
First off, good for her for asking. But second, that is unacceptable…and this is why the flight attendants should not have allowed it in the first place: flight attendants should notice such tings (and also folks not silencing their phones). Passengers should not be put in situations in which they must confront a tacky seatmate. That is not fair to them and can stir up emotions onboard and create unnecessary strife…and even violence.
Some say, “Revenge is a dish best served cold….and wet,” but I’m not for retaliating against your seatmate by using his jacket as a tissue or dousing it in red wine. No, the better option is to remain above reproach by not stooping to their level. Yes, this passenger could have more forcefully asked flight attendants to intervene, but I’d really like to think a flight attendant would notice this and correct it when doing seatbelt checks prior to takeoff…
I just cannot believe how clueless some passengers are in failing to respect the personal space of others…
image: PsychologicalDot4049 / reddit
I think I have sufficient situational awareness to avoid draping my coat in such a fashion. But a plane is an uncommon enough environment that people should be forgiven if they are a bit daft.
Needing to be asked 5 times and then copping an attitude is not so forgivable.
Ohhhh, I would ask politely once. A little less nicer the second time and from then on use it as my personal Kleenex.
This is why we need to get rid of unions. That way, bad apples like these so called FAs can be summarily fired.
Also, “things” not “tings”
To be fair, I don’t think you can blame the FAs. They may have been in a hurry and not noticed. I seriously doubt they scan each seat for issues in the course of a flight.
This is my problem with the scenario: “She hoped a flight attendant would intervene and many passed by”.
I’m not a FA apologist, but I am also not a fan of people expecting a FA to magically know you need assistance. The simple solution would have been going to a FA out of earshot and ask for assistance. Now, if the person did ask and the FA declined to get involved, then I have a problem.
These posts are getting a little stale.
Yes, there are idiots out there. Yes, some flight attendants don’t help as much as they should.
But no, there doesn’t need to be a post about each one.
These posts pay the bills. If you want less of them, click on the Jimmy Carter post.
Preach!
I’m not for retaliating against your seatmate by using his jacket as a tissue or dousing it in red wine.
I agree, don’t retaliate like that. After asking three times and being ignored, you dump that glass of red wine directly on that idiot’s head, and another glass on his clothes, so he stays nice and comfortable…not on his jacket.
“Ooops, sorry! (giggle)”
I had a similar situation many years ago. I was seated in Comfort Plus. Lady in front of me draped her sweater over her seat completely blocking my video screen. I simply called a flight attendant over who asked the lady for her boarding pass. Lady said she didn’t have it. Fight attendant checked on her hand held device and told the lady she shows that seat as unoccupied. It was determined the lady was in regular economy. She did comply and got up and moved to the back. I had a nice flight with no one in front of me.
I would have ripped the fabric