Of all the bad behavior on planes – like bare feet, propped up on the bulkhead, or walking barefoot into the lavatory – perhaps the worst is draping your hair or jacket over the behind you. That’s because it isn’t just rude or disgusting, it also encroaches onto the limited space of another passenger nearby.
Here, that passenger sitting in back asked flight attendants for help with the passenger whose jacket was taking up their space – but they got no help. They were shy and didn’t want a confrontation, but mustered up the courage to say something.
This is rude and disruptive, but people do what makes them comfortable, blissfully unaware of the consequences their actions have on others.
The passenger here,
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.
This behavior is rude and it’s disruptive, but people do what makes them comfortable, blissfully unaware of the consequences their actions have on others.
Here, a Delta Air Lines passenger complains that the person in front of them draped their jacket over their seat back. This took up the passenger’s space who was seated behind. In the jacket owner’s defense, however, someone suggests,
I don’t see why this is a problem. The passenger ahead has generously provided you with a cloth napkin!
Nope
byu/Evelyns_Human indelta
And here, a woman whose big jacket was tied around her seat back took up space from the passenger behind them, and covered that passenger’s screen too.
Like when passengers drape their hair over the seat back behind them, people always want to sabotage the passenger in front of them (glue, gum, scissors, coffee). Normally the best bet is asking a flight attendant for assistance, but that didn’t seem to work here. Eventually the passenger did adjust their behavior, albeit grudgingly, when asked to do so. I’d follow up with a note to the airline about not getting the seat space paid for with the ticket; perhaps they’d throw a few miles at the problem.
I’ve experienced similar behavior but thankfully I’m big enough to not be intimidated. I simply said the 2nd time they could be courteous about it and move the jacket or I would begin signing my autograph with marker to the jacket. It was moved.
Common courtesy is dead. Folks have forgotten the ‘golden rule’ to treat others as they want to be treated. Or, they know it all-too-well, and just like to be treated poorly.
Spot on, @Ray. Simply pack a Black Sharpie in your carry-on, and kindly mention that you have a habit of doodling while in the air as you show it to them.
I’d ask for a couple bottles of red wine and a cup. Then I’d marinate the coats in the red wine. Sorry, not sorry.
I’d simply take the jacket and flip it back to the other side where it belongs.
What airline? Attendant is culpable.
How about “thank you for providing me with a large handkerchief. I have a sinus infection and forgot to bring my own.”
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I don’t think snappy comments or threats work. In fact I think that’s what some “hair or coat over the seatback” passengers are hoping for. Maybe they crave in-flight confrontation. I’d at least try this: “These (airline name) rows are awfully close together. I’m sure you didn’t realize it but your hair/jacket is in my face. Would you please remove it?”
A good reason to chew gum
It’s called being a complete A**hole. We all know space on a plane is limited, you have to keep your things in YOUR space, when you simply don’t care to, you are a complete A**hole.
While the airline can assist, this is one people should be able to solve for themselves before asking for a referee. While lots of these ideas are funny, it escalates things rather than solves things. You can either move it for them or you can let them know that you don’t want their coat to get ruined by falling into your drink/food/sneeze pattern so that you’re not escalating, but helping them solve a problem. I’m not Mr Rogers. If they ignore me, I’m not above self-help and am more likely to do that before I call the “enforcer”.
Just start singing the WOZ song. Snip snip here, snip snip there and a jolly old tra la la.
I’m reminded of the woman and her boyfriend sitting in front of me on a SWA flight. She had long blond hair and kept flipping it over the back of the seat and hitting my USA Today (that’s how long ago it was) in her animated conversation, Finally her boyfriend turned around and TOLD me to keep my paper out of his girlfriends hair. My response was “your girlfriends hair is actually over the back of the seat and landing on my newspaper. My newspaper is on my side of the seat so unless her hair stays on your side, we’re at an impasse”. I thought it was settled. As they disembarked in Las Vegas (go figure) I was told I was the rudest person they ever met. It’s not rude to inform some of these passengers who lack common courtesy, just don’t try to enforce it. Surely it will be a case of no good deed goes unpunished.
I may be wrong, but I treat the seat as I treat a fence, and if my neighbor’s tree spreads over the fence and drops leaves or fruit on my yard, the leaves and fruit are mine. I can also trim the part of the tree on my side of the fence.
Now, I’m not about to trim the hair or cut or damage the jacket of the passenger sitting in front of me. But I am going to treat their encroaching property so that I may enjoy the limited space in front of my seat. Of course, I’ll ask them to remove whatever is encroaching. And, yes, if they ignore me after I’ve asked politely a second time, I’ll remove whatever is encroaching. Gently, politely, but insistently.
I would first try addressing the offending passenger with something like “Excuse me, I would hate for something unfortunate to happen to your jacket and damaging it. You may want to take it up to your seat to protect it”. If that did not get results, well they were warned. Then one can order a beer and oops, awe that was awful. Sorry, not!
I always carry a spare booger or two.
If someone’s hair is draped over their seat back into your personal space you could always grab that hair and give it a nice good tug.