Dealing with a Situation: How I Handled a Passenger Repeatedly Closing the Window on Our Flight
Nabbing the window seat on a flight can have its pros and cons. I love it because I like being tucked away and being distracted by the view. My husband, however, hates it because he never wants to bother the person on the aisle seat if he needs to go to the bathroom.
One woman has found another con for being allocated the window seat after things got rather uncomfortable for her during a short domestic flight. The woman, who took to a ‘petty revenge’ thread on Reddit to share her story, was flying a short-haul flight when the female passenger seated next to her kept invading her personal space.
“I was flying in the window seat, because I like looking out the window. The woman sitting next to me reached in front of me multiple times to close the window shade,” she woman shared.
“She never asked me, she just reached directly in front of me to close the shade. I would immediately reopen it, and a few minutes later she would reach in front of me again to close it.”
The woman continued to explain that there was really no reason for the shade to be down – it was a short domestic flight and they were not taking off or landing. It appeared as though the woman, who was wearing headphones the whole time, was just trying to be annoying.
“It was a noon domestic short haul flight, so no reason to need darkness in the middle of the day. And absolutely no excuse for violating my personal space multiple times without asking me or acknowledging me or treating me like a human in any way,” she said.
Annoyed by the woman’s lack of care, the passenger then explained how she reacted – and that’s when things got a little petty.
“So I pulled out my book and turned on the reading light, despite there being ample natural light from the open window for me to read. I then positioned my hands in such a way that my watch would reflect the reading light directly into her eyes,” she shared.
“I read like that for an hour, jiggling my hand the entire time, so it would shine the light back and forth across her eyes and be super distracting and annoying.”
But it didn’t stop there.
Once the plane disembarked, the woman took things one step further and confronted the other passenger the moment she took her headphones off.
“I turned to her and said ‘next time you fly, book a window seat if you want to control the window. Or at least treat me like a human and ask me before you violate my personal space. What you did is unbelievably rude,’” she shared.
“She looked SO OFFENDED.”
In this day and age, we often hear stories about conflicts on planes. From arguments over reclining seats to disputes about overhead bin space, it seems like there’s always something happening up in the air. However, this particular tale takes the cake for its pettiness and passive-aggressiveness.
The woman, who preferred to remain anonymous, found herself in a rather uncomfortable situation during a short domestic flight. Seated by the window, she was excited to enjoy the view and relax during her journey. Little did she know that her seatmate had plans of her own.
The passenger next to her repeatedly reached in front of her to close the window shade without any regard for her personal space. This went on for several minutes, with the woman reopening the shade each time it was closed. It became clear that this was not a simple misunderstanding or accidental gesture; rather, it seemed like a deliberate attempt to annoy her.
Frustrated by the lack of consideration from her seatmate, the woman decided to take matters into her own hands. She positioned herself in such a way that her reading light would reflect directly into the other passenger’s eyes. For an entire hour, she jiggled her hand and shone the light back and forth, making it as distracting and annoying as possible.
But the story doesn’t end there. Once the plane landed, the woman couldn’t resist confronting her seatmate. She made it clear that such behavior was unacceptable and that if she wanted control over the window, she should have booked a window seat or at least asked for permission before closing the shade.
The seatmate, taken aback by the confrontation, looked utterly offended. It’s a reminder that sometimes, even in cramped spaces like airplanes, we must remember to treat others with respect and consider their personal boundaries.
This incident serves as a cautionary tale for both passengers and airlines. It highlights the importance of communication and respect among fellow travelers. It also raises questions about how airlines can better address conflicts between passengers to ensure a more pleasant and comfortable flying experience for everyone involved.
In the end, it’s essential to remember that we are all human beings sharing the same airspace, and a little bit of kindness can go a long way in making travel more enjoyable for everyone.
