As a sixteen-year-old who is over six feet tall, I’m used to being uncomfortable on planes. But on a recent trip, I met a passenger who actually made my stress level go through the roof.
I was in a dangerous situation because his seat was leaned back too far. That’s when I thought of a way to handle things myself.
I set out to get back my space with the help of my mom and a bag of pretzels. The flight attendant asked the man in front of me politely to move, but he wouldn’t. So, I got clever like my mom does when she has to solve a problem.
By carefully sneezing and giving my neighbour a crunchy snack, I was able to get my point across, or rather, I was able to get the crumbs on his head. It wasn’t the most clever answer, but it worked great. When the man moved, I could finally breathe.
As my mum and I got off the plane, she laughed and felt proud of my unusual ways of doing things. “Sometimes it’s okay to stand up for yourself, even if it means making a little mess.”
I totally agree. Also, who knows? We might move up to first class next time, or at least pick a snack that doesn’t fall apart as much.
