This has to be the worst nightmare of any passenger seated at the window on a plane. A woman documented the man beside her in the middle seat reaching past her in order to photograph out the window. He leans. He reaches. He, in effect, took over both his middle seat and her window seat.
@sterlingsavannah Only option was to stare out the window
Your seat assignment on an airplane is a usufructuary right. The airline owns the seat, but you get to use it and benefit from it to the exclusion of others.
However that right really isn’t fully defines, although I think that we can say:
- the space on the seat cushion itself is yours
- the space underneath the seat in front of you is yours to use as well
- the window seat passenger gets the armrest by the window, the aisle seat passenger gets the armrest by the aisle – and, more controversially, the middle seat passenger gets both of their armrests
- the aisle seat passenger gets to lean into the aisle, subject to passengers needing to get by and flight attendants ramming into them with the galley cart
- the window seat passenger gets to lean into the window
This all seems pretty straightforward, and I don’t even need to say that the space above the seat cushion belongs to the passenger seated there right?
Therefore it violates the rights of the passenger in the window seat to lean across them into the window, or to reach across them to photograph out the window. Moreover, if it is a priority to photograph out the window there’s such a thing as a window seat and you can pre-reserve one!
If you are still seated in a non-window, and must get physically closer to the window, the correct thing to do is (1) ask permission first, (2) consider asking to switch seats if you have a more desirable seat, (3) even compensate them for the inconvenience if you’re going to be doing this over and over – at least offer to buy them a drink?
I’m sure Lanny Lebowitz got a fantastic picture from that angle. People never cease to amaze.
What’s wrong with politely asking the guy not to invade your space? It doesn’t have to be some big drama fest.
People are so spineless today. First of all if I’m in a window seat and the person in the middle tries to look out the window or takes a photo I don’t care. They would have to lean into me to matter. From the video not sure she has a lot to whine about. However, if she doesn’t like it SAY SOMETHING and ask him to please not lean over her. Amazes me how many people encounter a situation and then, instead of dealing with it, go on TikTok or Reddit to post about it afterwards and get affirmation that “yes they were right and the other person was wrong”. So sad in today’s world.
BTW Gary – if this is ANYONE’s “worst nightmare” they are leading a very sheltered life. Please get real and cut out the clickbait titles!
First, let him take a couple of pix, then state firmly but politely NOT to invade her space.
If he does it again, slam the shade shut and lean against it.
But then you wouldn’t have a tic tok video. Speaking of which, who was recording tha?
Gary,
You continue to push this nonsense suggestion that the armrests in the middle are not shared. How you created this nonsense is comical. There are no rules on this at all – it’s two people negotiating an outcome.
Since you are determined to make up nonsense, can you please focus the limited creative skills you possess for purposes of good rather than evil by addressing the increase in mandatory tipping in the US?
Thanks
@David – what’s wrong with him asking first? Geeesh. Also: it’s reasonable to avoid confrontation because people have become completely unhinged. That’s doubly in confined spaces like an aircraft where you have no place to escape to.
I have never had this happen and I am almost always in a window seat. It seems like less of a problem than someone injuring my knees by jamming their seatback into them.
Why ask someone to stop being intrusive – or just be passive aggressive and close the shade – when you can put your phone in your lap and post to TikTok for – checks the numbers – 4.6M views?
I’m with @David. Say you’d like your personal space back.
As to Worst Nightmare, I can think of numerous worse scenarios including ones that @Gary would concur with, such as a stranger putting their bare feet on you. After they walked barefoot to use the facilities.
Happened to me once with an older man as well, on a flight to China. They just don’t realize it’s rude, just like some folks who spit in the streets. Doesn’t mean anything more than that. I went to the toilet and let him sit in my seat while I’m gone so he can take as many pictures as his little heart desired. No confrontation needed lol.
If that’s their worst nightmare we have a problem.
In every case of this I’ve seen, the person asked first. Then I told them go ahead and take your photos out the window.
How is this a big deal? The guy didn’t touch her and if she’s bothered then just tell him instead of recording a Tiktok. What a weird thing to do from her side.
Just adding that the man is not in a middle seat. He’s actually seated in an aisle seat. Note the overhead nozzles and lights: one for the aisle seat and the second one for the window seat. If I’m not mistaken it’s an Embraer RJ.
I had this happen on a flight to Warsaw from Beijing. Middle Seat was taking pictures of everything. “Do you like to fly?” I asked. “This is my second flight of my life! First one to Beijing last week!” he proudly said. The guy was from a village in Poland and visiting the Great Wall of China was a lifetime bucket list item for him. He’d saved for years to afford the trip.
You know, flying is an amazing and wonderful thing that we take for granted, and not everyone can easily experience. I let him take all the pictures he wanted, and I hope he had a wonderful trip!
There should be a worldwide and US no fly list where a FA can put you on the list. The woman who surreptitiously videoed the man should be placed on the list. The woman should not be told why she is on the list and should have no right of appeal. She should be permanently banned from social media and fined as well as wash the man’s feet.
The man deserves a million dollars compensation and 1M AAdvantage miles (or 10M SkyPesos). He is disabled (inability to not take pictures, a psychiatric disorder) so he needs early boarding and a free window seat.
1) You ask him to stop, nicely
2) Level 2 aggression: You TELL him to stop
3) Level 3 Aggression: You tell him to keep his creepy ass out of your personal space.
4) One of you gets deplaned for what happens next.
The woman should be arrested and classified as a registered sex offender. She secretly videoed the man from underneath and shot video of his nostrils, not much different from upskirting.
The man may have unknowingly encroached on her space but that is not as bad as her sex offender type behavior.
Good lord, if this is a traveller’s ‘worst nightmare’, they obviously have never travelled further than the grocery store. If someone is being obnoxious on an airplane and you can’t bring yourself to politely tell them to knock it off, you call a flight attendant. If you chose to sit there like a lump, then you’re going to be annoyed with the dope sitting next to you. If you’re mature enough to fly on an airplane, you should have no trouble communicating with another pax.
Happens to me all the time. Many times on a flight in fact. But instead of a photog getting all up in my dish, it is the flight attendant passing nuts, drinks, dinner, etc. across me (and horror, my personal space!) as I always sit on the aisle seat. Or it is the passenger reaching across me to grab their snack. Then 20-30 minutes later, the same routine happens but in reverse. The passenger reaches across me to give the walking garbage and recycling bags their cups, etc. It happens and then I let it slide. So not a huge deal.
When I read the story to my husband he said “I’d just shut the window shade.” Solves that problem.