If an airplane passenger decides to let her long hair flow down behind her seat, there is one easy solution: give her a haircut speak up and ask her to fix it. Yes, it is worth a confrontation.
Southwest Airlines Passenger Lets Her Hair Down: How To Handle
View From The Wing wonders what you should you do if a woman rudely lets her hair flow down the back of her seat (thereby impinging upon the space of the passenger seated behind her). The context is a Southwest Airlines flight where this occurred and a passenger did not know how to handle it.
First, they asked a flight attendant. But the flight attendant replied, “What exactly would you like me to do?” While that seems like a stupid question to me (isn’t it obvious?), the flight attendant did not refuse to help. The answer should have been, “Ask this woman to move her hair.”
But was it really necessary to involve a flight attendant? Wasn’t the better course of action simply to ask her to move? Are we really to a point where we cannot do it. Sure, she may be a jerk and turn around and curse you out…I know what that is like.
I don’t recommend getting creepy. Certainly, you could start combing her hair or braiding her hair. You could pull it..or even cut it. Yes, you could douse it in coffee or stick gum in it. But I simply cannot recommend any of those options. Do speak to your seatmate. Do not touch your seatmate. Ever (unless invited).
And yes, the woman was rude and should have had the situational awareness to avoid this in the first place. But these days, I start by giving people the benefit in doubt in these sorts of situations and only involve flight attendants if it turns nasty.
1. Ask politely
2. Ask more sternly
3. Chewing gum
Problem Solved
Hee Hee .
Would just asked the person next to me to see if she has a pair of scissors where the woman w the hair could hear the reqyest
I am surprised that a site called Live and Let Fly wouldn’t point out the most obvious solution – do nothing. What was her hair really impinging? If you were going to use that space (perhaps to rest your head) I could see you would want her ask to move it. But it was not covering up the tray mechanisms or a screen or anything else. Why would the passenger call this out as a problem? It’s just a normal back and forth in the life of living with other people. Grow up.
Shirley you can’t be serious. You are ok with hair hanging over your drink on the tray? The tray isn’t open in the photo, but your hair belongs in your space, not in the space of someone else.
Are you the inconsiderate c**t that put your hair on some else’s seat. You would have got wad of gum in your hair you b**ch.
So obviously you’re one if the entitled rude ones who would let your own hair fall down the back of your seat and into someone else’s space. I would personally have you gummed up and butchered by the end of the flight. There are too many people in the world today who assume too much and think its ok to take up others personal space. Here’s a clue:its NOT OK. You all need to grow up. Only children don’t understand boundaries until they’re taught.
Ah Sharon. Do you also feel bare feet upon lounge furniture is acceptable? Or placing your bare feet on the bulkhead is fine? Please learn some manners!
people are gross and inconsiderate.
Absolutely disgusting and I can guarantee you if the person behind her complained she would say that is “her” seat so the hair in on “her” seat. Wish scissors were allowed on board/
Without preamble, inflection or any emotion, in a level voice ” Your hair is in my space. Remove it. ”
Simple instruction.
Exactly!! Not a request. An instruction.
Thank you!
Be kind. Ask nicely. What person wouldn’t mover their hair?
Tie it to that handle then lock the tray in its upright position. lol
She probably does this intentionally, so you do run the risk of get branded a misogynist who doesn’t respect women’s bodies and being turned into a viral video posted to whatever the current trendy social media site is.
But ask her politely to get out of your personal space.
When the seatbelt sign goes off, get out of your seat. Go to a flight attendant. Make sure you get that person’s name, FIRST. Then address that flight attendant by name. NOW he/she/?? knows that you know the name. “Mr/Ms/??, I’m in seat XX. The person sitting in the seat ahead of me has draped his/her/?? hair over the back of the seat and is not only annoying but rude. Would you please attend to this right away as I don’t want to cause a commotion?” Now, the flight attendant knows: 1-you have a name. 2-You have made a polite service request. 3-armed with both the name and the request, the attendant knows that you have the ammo to make a formal complaint. MAKE NO THREATS at this time. IF the attendant does nothing, then…yes, tell the annoying hair person to remove the hair. As you deplane, get the captain’s name AND if the captain is greeting the deplaning people…SAY SOMETHING. “I was seating in seat XX. The person sitting ahead of me in seat YY, etc. I asked Mr/Ms/? if he/she/?? could ask that person to move the hair but nothing was done. I need you to know that I am going to file a formal complaint with the airline, the DOT and my representatives. Thank you for our safe flight.” Then file a formal complaint with the DOT, the airline AND NAME NAMES and the seat number of the annoying hair. Don’t send it on social media…SNAIL MAIL with a courtesy copy to your Congress representatives and note the cc: on all of your correspondence. Never let a lieutenant do what a general does better…in this case.
Wow!! Letters to the airline, DOT, and congress? You need a hobby, maybe consider writing a novel. I am glad you are not my neighbor.
1- ask politely
2 – no results. Ask the flight attendant for help
3- no results; stick your knee on her seat and find out if she wants to negotiate, hair in exchange for knee…
Hmmm. Perhaps put your feet/shoes on her hair so that she feels them. When she turns around for the confrontation just smile and say oh perhaps your hair shouldn’t be in my personal space. Keep repeating until she puts her hair where it belongs. Self entitled little sh+t.
I would very helpfully and tactfully perhaps in a stage whisper ask the young woman if she was aware that she had head lice.
Don’t EVER touch their hair directly or indirectly—that’s called battery and it’s a crime. Just tell the person, “You may not be aware, but your hair is in my space; remove it, please.” If they do not comply and their hair is blocking your video screen, inform the FA that you cannot see the safety announcements on the screen during the flight. That makes it the FA’s responsibility—whether they like it or not—to make sure you can see the screen during the flight.
Southwest doesn’t have video screens in the seatbacks.
Stick a finger in your butt, wipe it on her hair. Enjoy!
Definitely a Hawk Tuah situation….. Sometimes you just gotta load up and spit on that thang lol
I’m thinking of the degradation of our civilization when the obvious approach is rarely considered: Get up, approach her, and compliment her lovely hair but that you would prefer it to not hang over your screen. She can laugh, apologize, and you both get a good laugh out of it.
We live in a hyper “social media” society where we are connected to thousands of people but we lack the ability to interact 1:1 in constructive ways. I remember Matt struggling with buying a train ticket in Warsaw airport and finally going to get an uber instead of paying a usurious exchange fee when he could have flagged down a helpful Pole and asked him to do the transaction for him.
We need to remember to embrace each other. I’m not preaching because I need to do this regularly as well. It’s like a muscle we need to exercise.
If asking nicely, sternly, and asking the flight attendant yield no results, take your shoes and socks off and drape them over her seat. Hopefully you wore boots and it’s been a hot day