Article created by: Ieva Pečiulytė
Australian comedian Jim Jefferies once did a bit about airplane etiquette. His premise revolves around armrests, a much-coveted piece of real estate, and how passengers should respect each other’s spaces.
While it was, of course, done in jest, his comedy routine tackles the basic concepts of human decency and common sense. However, many people lack these traits, and these stories you’re about to read just prove that.
If disruptive plane passengers are your pet peeve and you have encountered them yourself, feel free to share your experiences in the comments below.
I told him, politely, he was hurting my knees and he got somewhat aggressive. Long story short (ha!) he called the flight attendant over and I got my first and only upgrade ever in my life.
I try to have grace here, but it’s hard. PHL to LHR economy and had an adult with special needs in the window seat, I was middle, my husband was aisle. The parents were in business and only came back once to check on their daughter. She was pulling food off my tray, touching and hitting my screen (turned off movies), touching me and waking me up when she was nervous. It was awful and zero sleep. I know it’s so hard and parents deserve a break but how can you put that on someone else?
Years ago flying from NYC to Dublin alone, the flight attendants decided, since I (F26) had two empty seats beside me, that I would be the perfect babysitter for a little boy flying as an unaccompanied minor. He was maybe 5 years old(?) This was in the ’80’s so not sure what the age cut off was then but he was really young.
I would rather have been seated beside a monkey or a boa constrictor. He was all over me needing comfort and constant attention. I felt bad for him and being a parent now, can’t imagine shipping my child that age across the ocean by himself.
I (female) was flying solo from Paris to the US, I was about 20. I had just gotten my first upgrade to premium economy and I was soooooo excited!
I had the window and my seatmate was a man in his mid thirties or 40s; he was wearing a religious garment and we exchanged pleasantries. I woke up from a nap and his hand was resting on my knee, but more on the inside of my thigh than not. He was awake. When he saw that I was awake, he quickly removed it.
So many things I wish I would have said or done but instead I just sat there in total silence for the rest of the flight.
Full flight, 2 hours. I’m a woman (60s, small, no makeup, comfortable clothing), in the middle seat. Window guy is young with wide shoulders, headphones (considerate; he didn’t even take the armrest). Aisle guy, though. Dang. Big guy (tall and large, even wider shoulders than window seat), also 60s (and newly divorced, I learn later). Can’t not take the armrest unless he’s leaning into the aisle. OK, I can deal with that. I brought a book, but Aisle wants to talk. Normally I am good with that (I spent 13 years doing psychiatric interviews, I am interested in people and can talk with anyone). However, this guy was intensely sexual. Lots of questions about me (no), wanted to tell me about his kinks (no), asked for naughty pictures (no) and had an erection (which admittedly, he tried to hide) for almost the entire flight. I kind of felt sorry for him. He was polite, at least, and didn’t press when I said no to various conversational topics. Again, full flight, seat change likely impossible. And better me than some young woman. One of the weirder flights I’ve ever been on.
Woman changed her infant’s diaper on the tray table (to be fair it was extremely turbulent for hours and she could not get up).
Before she could close the diaper, plane hit a big bump. She was able to prevent infant from flying off but the dirtied diaper floated in front of my face and then landed face down directly in my lap.
Doha to Chicago, got to my window seat, couple had taken it and the middle. I told them I had the window, they told me to sit in the aisle. I said no. They scooted over and motioned for me to climb over them. I said no.
I only got up twice during the flight. Each time, the same interaction. They wanted me to climb over them, it was too tight. I said no.
They were barefooted the entire 15 hour flight and would walk to the bathroom with their bare feet.
I just tried to sleep the whole flight, but they were incredibly rude.
Pretty sure it was me once after I got on part 2 of a long haul flight having apparently contracted food poisoning during an airport delay the night before. Something like an 8 or 10 hour flight, I was in the middle of the middle part of the plane. Had to go to the bathroom approximately every 5 1/2 minutes. Bless the poor woman sitting on the aisle who was going to visit her son on the east coast. She swapped with me. Thank you again.
On a flight from Rome to Chicago a couple in their 40s in the seat in front of me made out the entire flight, including him licking her forehead on numerous occasions.
Resolution: nobody said anything.
I was in a seat between a parent and a 5 year old. Parent kept passing a laptop over to the child, then bringing it back to change the shows and games, every few minutes, in front of my face.
The family owned cats. How could I tell? Their coats reeked of cat urine and were covered in fur.
Getting stuck in the middle between a married couple who had bought the aisle and window, and who then spent the entire flight talking and passing things across me as though I wasn’t there.
I always buy an aisle seat. When I got to my seat, there was a giant German Shepherd sitting on both the middle and aisle seats. I have no clue why the owner thought it was okay for them to sit at the window seat, forcing their giant dog to sit next to another passenger. I would have complained, but luckily, a flight attendant came and offered me a first-class seat. People that bring their dogs on planes are weirdos.
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