I always take an aisle seat. I like to look out the window, but I really prefer to control my own destiny. I don’t want to have to wake a neighbor to get up, or climb over them. I want immediate access to the aisle.
Along with that comes the obligation to get out of the way when someone in the middle or window seat needs to go to the lavatory. And I’m always happy to get up!
Some passengers, though, step over you. I find that very awkward. Either their bum or their front is staring you in the face. You’re much closer to them than you’d like to be. It is really uncomfortable.
This woman, though, had her own approach. She practically pole vaulted the row to avoid inconveniencing other passengers. She’s a true air travel hero.
This 6 foot 5 inch woman was in the window seat and needed to get to the aisle and back. Instead of tapping them awake, she pulled off a slow-motion climb that would make the most extreme yoga instructor proud: one leg over, duck under the overhead bin, clear the tray tables without spilling a drop. It’s like watching someone limbo and high jump at the same time.
When you don’t want to wake the person in the aisle seat and you’re 2 meters tall.
@anna_haak and you’re 2 meters tall
I think the best take is the commenter who said, “Disrespectful and respectful at the same time.” It’s impressive and it’s rude and it’s also a tremendous attempt not to inconvenience others. Imagine though that a sleeping seatmate wakes up mid-climb? Bonus points, though: she didn’t even knock over the drinks on her tray table.
Not many who could pull that off, but this is certainly impressive!
Would like to say if I was 6′ 5″ instead of my measly 5″ 4″, I too could compete in flying gymnastics!
Hmm. This doesn’t seem that controversial… yet. Can anyone insert race or partisanship into this? Spice it up. More ‘clicks’ and ‘views’!
She had the free aisle seat on the other side to leverage in this situation and was tall enough and flexible enough to do it in a nice, clean, single movement.
My hat is off to her. 🙂
Impressive! I see nothing wrong here.
I’m a bit taller than her, but to old to do this maneuver, anymore. And, I’m also stuck with wide shoulders and am probably 75lbs heavier. But it was fun to do, back in the day. I’d never do it with strangers, tho, lol! She rocks!
I would be afraid of slipping and bringing more than 200 pounds down on the person under me. That would be no fun for them. I just tap the people until they wake up. Fortunately I can hold it so I usually only get out once in a cross country flight if that and twice in a flight across the Pacific. If the others in my row get out, I often use that as an opportunity if it is time for me to get out.
Very sweet gesture.
I once had an old guy on a long haul SFO-SYD flight try to exit his middle seat and cross my aisle seat without waking me. I woke up to his crotch directly in front of my face and he’s lucky I wasn’t more startled or he would have been hobbling down the aisle. Same guy was actually sitting in my seat when I boarded and when I politely asked him to move, he instead gave me a long winded complaint about how he and his wife ALWAYS book the window and aisle seats (hoping no one would sit between them, I guess) and he had no idea WHY they were booked in the window and middle. I politely let him know it was not my problem and there was no way in fricking heck I was giving up my aisle seat which I had carefully selected and paid extra for. He did move to his assigned seat without me having to call a flight attendant and was polite the rest of the trip, but maybe the crotch cam was his little way of getting back at me.