Man Refuses To Let Co-Passenger Sit On Empty Flight Seat, Reddit Thinks 'He Is Right'

In a recent incident shared on the popular AITA subreddit, a plane passenger has prompted a discussion after adamantly refusing to allow another traveller to occupy the empty seat adjacent to him. This incident took place, as per the passenger’s Reddit post, during a seemingly routine three-hour flight, where the passenger and his friend had strategically chosen to purchase the last seat in their row due to his friend’s debilitating social anxiety, as it was her inaugural experience in a flight. Seated on the left side, the pair had willingly paid an additional fee for the third seat, with the friend sitting by the window, and the Reddit user sitting next to her.

However, what should have been a relatively comfortable journey for the duo, became unpleasant when another fellow passenger decided to park himself on the armrest of the vacant seat.

”She was sitting by the window and I sat next to her and this guy came over and sat on the armrest of the empty seat to talk (very loudly) to his relatives who were seated on the other side. I immediately tapped him on the back and told him the seat was not available because we paid for it,” the Reddit user shared.

The situation escalated, with the occupant proceeding to voice his discontent allegedly in a loud manner, even resorting to mocking the passenger.

“After that, he stood next to us in the aisle during the majority of the flight and kept being loud and very gestural (a member of the staff even told him to keep it down at one point) and leaned close to me with his ass, possibly as a way to provoke me (I was sitting close to the aisle at that point because my friend was taking a nap and resting her legs in the middle),” wrote the narrator, who, at this point, had relocated closer to the aisle to accommodate his friend who was resting her legs in the middle seat.

Amidst this escalating mid-air drama, the Reddit user expressed frustration, contending that the flight crew should have played a more active role in resolving the situation. The disruptive passenger’s incessant “dirty looks” only added to the discomfort experienced by the original seat-holder and his companion.

Read the original post here:

Seeking both validation and advice, the Reddit user posed the question to the online community: “Am I wrong?” In response, several fellow Redditors rallied in support of him, stressing on the fact that they paid for the extra seat.

A commenter succinctly stated, “You paid for it, no amount of his complaining is going to change that.” Another respondent urged a proactive approach, stating, “Nothing will ever change in life if you don’t take action. This person was bothering you, so you have the power to alert a flight attendant to what was happening.”

“The seat WAS taken. It was paid for by you. I would have 100 percent called a flight attendant and explained that this passenger’s behavior was causing issues,” commented another, reinforcing the idea that the seat, despite appearing unoccupied, was, in fact, taken.

The consensus among the online community was clear – the passenger’s decision to defend his paid-for seat was justified, and inaction would only empower disruptive individuals. What do you think of the situation?