Regular readers probably think my biggest single pet peeve about flying is bare feet on the bulkhead.
In fact, there are many things far worse that happen in travel such as this, this, and this.
However if there’s one thing that actually frustrates me about passengers on a weekly basis it’s people who climb over you or expect you to climb over them.
- If you’re seated in the window seat, and your seat opponent is on the aircraft first and in the aisle, and they do not get up to let you in. Instead they expect you to maneuver between them and the seat in front of them in order to reach your spot.
- Or you’re seated in the aisle. Your seatmate in the window wants to get up mid-flight. Instead of letting you know so you can put your belongings aside and get up into the aisle to make room, they just start climbing over you.
Why do people do this? I feel like this happens to me on about one out of four or one out of five flights. And it’s super awkward.
I can sort of understand (but not condone) creepy dudes who want to make attractive passengers climb over them, or who want to climb over attractive passengers. But I don’t even have a theory to explain why people would do this to me?
I try to use humor, especially as a woman. This can be an uncomfortable situation, so I usually joke and say “Sorry no lap dances today” and that works every time.
And in addition the maneuver typically involves holding onto the seat of the person in front, which invariably gets whipsawed during the attempt.
Be more direct? A simple “excuse me” gets them to move for me Every. Single. Time. It probably helps that’s I’m 6’1″ and more pounds than I care to admit, so if the other person doesn’t move, it’s gonna get real awkward.
The worst flight I ever took was on one of LAN’s old 767’s between IAD and LIM when they were running it. For whatever reason, LAN configured the thing such that there were very few places where one could cross from one aisle to the other. One of the only places to do that was at the emergency exit row in the center section where thee was just a *little* more room. People spent almost the entirety of the 8 hour flight crossing over people’s legs in that row. No matter what I did, people weren’t getting the “f off” message. It was really, really awkward.
As long as LAN was flying that aircraft on that route, I wasn’t going to take it again. LAN had since pulled out of IAD, and I can sort of see why. When passengers want to avoid you, you have to offer cheaper tickets to compete. I’d rather connect in MIA on AA or something than take LAN again.
Worst for me was feet on bulkhead with nail clippers
Huh, I’m not sure this happens to me almost ever.
I was sitting in my aisle seat and the young couple sitting in the center and window seats stood and aggressively squeezed past me soon after landing and way before our row was ready to deplane without even an “excuse us.” The bad thing was, they weren’t speaking English so I didn’t even think to call them any names as they pushed by.
This rarely happens to me! If I’m going for the window seat and someone doesn’t stand up to let me through, I just say “excuse me, I’m sitting there,” and stare at them until they get up, haha. Happens infrequently though. And I don’t think I’ve ever had anyone try to climb over me! I’d probably put my hands up and say “wait a minute.”
Since when does a fellow passenger become a APPONENT?
(Apponent: someone who competes against or fights another in a contest, game, or argument; a rival or adversary.)
If that’s how you think about your flight mates how can you be fair when writing about them?
This doesn’t happen to me in the US but try flying domestically in China! I usually have an aisle seat and during boarding put my hand on the seat in front of me to block the climbers.
I always say something Like please wait, I’ll get up. I don’t let them get past me. Next time I’ll say no lapdances!
OPPONENT – There was a book called the Boston Driver’s Handbook which taught survival skills for driving in Boston. One section dealt with rotaries (Boston for traffic circle or roundabout) and taught the reader how to handle entering one, especially how to get in front. Two lanes fed into the rotary, and the first instruction was “Turn right when adversary turns.”
Once I was seated in an aisle seat flying AMS>NRT, and the guy in the middle seat got up and went to the bathroom while I was asleep without touching me. He must have had Jackie Chan skills.
I hate waking people up and making them move so I can use the restroom on long flights. If I can easily get over them, I’ll do that. It’s out of courtesy rather than being discourteous.
Personally, I hate when people crawl over me when I’m fully awake and capable of moving. Even worse is when, during boarding, someone wants me to get up so they can take their middle or window seat, but doesn’t leave me any room in the aisle to get out. “Can you please step either forward or back so I can get out?” is something I say far too often.
My pet peeves too.
Crop dusting
@tprophet, this post is telling you to stop doing what you’re doing. It is, in fact, discourteous to climb all over sleeping people because it’s pretty likely to freak them out when you inevitably touch them. Give them the opportunity to not have your body all over them and in their face when they’re sleeping, ok? Thanks!!
Agree it’s annoying. My worst peeve is when someone decides to use my lap as a pillow. Flew economy LAX-SYD on DL years ago to visit my girlfriend. Had an empty seat between me and someone else. I fell asleep on the flight but woke up after a few hours. I look down and the guy is using my lap as his pillow. I was shocked someone would do this and think it is ok.
I used to do this — I’m a quite small male. I told myself I was making efforts so that the other person didn’t have to get up. I can’t remember if the people I were climbing over were attractive females, but I’m pretty sure that was not part of the equation…
Gary you are obviously hotter than you think.
@tprophet
Ugh, I hate that too.
‘Sir, would you like to be kicked in the shins in the process?’ (of course, I don’t really say this, but it sums up my feelings when they stand right at the entrance to the seat row)
It was such a lifesaver when one of these airline sites showed the little button to raise the aisle side armrest, it lets me turn my body to stand straight up rather than trying to clear the armrest when it’s down which is a lot easier on my back/knees. I don’t need to grab the seat in front of me to steady myself either.
I’ve always felt rude demanding that a stranger get up for me when I could just squeeze by them, and vice versa. Obviously if it’s Spirit Airlines and you weigh 300lbs then it’s an ungodly mess. But for normal elite frequent flyer travel (exit rows, bulkheads, main cabin extra), if you can slide over, suck in and scoot past, you’d be a prude to find it distressing. I roll my eyes inside when we all need to stand up for someone’s royal carriage if they could’ve just squeezed past.