A weary traveller has explained why he refused to swap seats with a couple on their honeymoon who wanted to sit together. He claimed that other passengers looked at him like he was a “scrooge” - but after hearing his reasoning, many social media users took his side.
The man explained that he was sat in a window seat when another man asked if he would swap with him so he could sit next to his new wife, who was in the middle seat, the Mirror reports. Posting about the experience on Reddit, the passenger, who goes by the name @scrapped85, said that he had “politely refused” and explained that he would be uncomfortable sitting in an aisle seat due to his size.
“I always get bumped by someone when I am on the aisle seat,” he explained. “One time, my elbow was badly hurt because the trolley hit me. I avoided the aisle seat ever since.”
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He also explained that it was the second of three flights he would be on that day and he wanted to sleep and relax. But then a third man, who was sat by the husband, began trying to persuade him to to swap. The traveller said the other man was “making a scene” and making out “as if I was the scrooge in the couple's honeymoon”.
“I didn't budge and all the people around me, including the crew, looked like they hated me,” he said. He then asked Reddit users if they felt he was justified in making a stand or if they thought he was in the wrong.
Most people took his side, with @anonysmen commenting: “Most flights have seat selection, it’s on them if they didn’t book in time or didn’t seat themselves next to each other.
“You know who is the AH [a****le]? The “other guy” who could’ve just swapped with the wife instead of trying to persuade someone else to swap. We get it Other Guy, you don’t want a middle seat either, so don’t persuade the OP [original poster] to swap if you’re not willing to.”
@Creative-Pension-283 agreed, asking: “Why couldn't the other guy switch with the wife?” The man replied to this comment, saying: “He eventually did. But he was grudgingly staring at me the entire flight and his friend even took a photo of me, maybe to share on social media of me being a scrooge. Lol.”
@Admirable-Marsupial6 wrote: “Next time just say 'poor planning on your part doesn’t make it an emergency for me'. I can’t believe the crew gave you a hard time. You should send the airline an email.”
@Vampire_queen94 put: “They should of booked seats together. If everyone was so p***** about it they could've given up their seats.” And @EvocativeEnigma said: “If they wanted to be seated together so badly, they should have paid extra to reserve seats together. It always boggles my mind that they don't plan through like that, and then expect others to just give up a certain seat that passenger paid for specifically.”
People often take to Reddit to vent about frustrating interactions with others on flights. A woman recently expressed her concern and anger when a man insisted on sitting next to her on a flight that wasn't “even half full”.
Posting as @Altruistic_Owl_2566, the 25-year-old woman said that staff had told passengers that the flight was not even half full and so they would need to spread out for even weight distribution. But despite that, a man, who appeared to be about 50, walked on and said, “I'll sit next to you”.
As he hadn't even asked, the woman said he gave off “a red flag” and she claimed that her husband would be sitting there. This was a “white lie” but the passenger explained that “I am traveling alone but as a young woman I avoid telling people that”.
Despite there being plenty of other available seats, the man insisted that he wanted to sit next to her, until she finally moved to the aisle seat to give herself some distance from him. But he repeatedly asked where her husband was and accused her of being a liar.
The argument then became heated, with her telling him to “shut the truck up” before cabin crew intervened. They said one of them would need to move to a different seat or they would both be kicked off the flight.
The woman said: “I look at her dumbfounded because I was there first and I didn't cause the problem he did. So she says one of you needs to move or you're both off the flight. So I just grab my bag and move.”
In the comments, people agreed that the woman was in the right. @roar075 said: “I guarantee this dude thought he was entitled to your company and conversation through the entire flight as well. I'm so sick of having to be polite to entitled men just so they won't fly off the handle.”
@CP81818 said the man “sounds like an absolute nightmare” and @Severe-Hope-9151 called the man's behaviour “disgusting”.
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