A recent flight caused a heated argument about how to be polite and kind in the air. A paid customer decided to lie down all the way during a 9-hour flight, even though it made the pregnant woman sitting behind him very uncomfortable.
The woman started to push the passenger seat and complain about not having enough room for her legs. “If you want luxury, buy business!” was the passenger’s direct answer. The woman finally stopped talking, and the passenger later found out that she had been moved to an empty business class seat to stop the argument from getting worse.
After the flight, the flight assistant gave the customer a treat by giving him a business class toiletry kit that had been left in his bag. He found a note in the kit that said, “Next time, be nice.” It doesn’t cost anything and makes the trip easier for everyone. It was a powerful lesson of how important it is to be kind and understanding, especially on crowded trains.
The rider still doesn’t feel bad about reclining his seat, even though the note says so. He thinks that he paid for the right to lie down in his place and that the way the airline designed the seats makes it clear that lying down is allowed. The argument makes us think about how to balance our own comfort with caring about other travellers.
