Haley fights over a window shade with an adolescent and his entitled mother on a lengthy journey. A perceptive flight attendant steps in and offers them an unexpected answer that makes them gasp.
Ready for the lengthy journey from New York to London, I fastened my seatbelt. I packed a lot of books because I enjoy reading and wanted to have a peaceful journey across the Atlantic. Adolescent lad sitting next to me was using his tablet to watch a TV show. I could hear the noise even through his headphones.
His mother pretended that the aircraft was her living room while she sat in the aisle seat. She was going through her various handbags, her hair sprayed stiff, and she looked at me sharply.
At first, we didn’t say anything. I made an effort to concentrate on my reading, but the noise from the boy’s display kept getting in the way. There were lots of loud fight scenes and funny moments. Gently, I asked him to decline.
He answered, “Okay,” and nodded without turning down the level at all. Without giving a thought to the trouble her son was causing, his mother just turned pages in a magazine. Even though the flight had just begun, I knew it would be difficult to find peace.
The flight cabin grew quieter as the night wore on, save for the sound of the teenager’s tablet. His headphones looked to be for show because the air was filled with the sound of dramatic music and automobile chases. It was difficult to read my book with all that racket.
I leaned down and said, “Could you please turn it down?” a little louder this time. He gave me a feeble smile, looked up, and paused his show. He answered, “Sure, sorry about that,” but the moment I calmed down, the volume increased immediately. His mother did not even take her eyes from her magazine.
The struggle over the window shade ensued. Without saying anything, the teenager reached over and pulled the shade down as I was admiring the night sky. After a little pause, I raised it once more because I needed the low light to read. With a deep sigh, he extended his arm and brought it down once more.
His mother spoke up at last. You see, he’s attempting to go to sleep. Simply put it down.”
I said, trying not to lose my temper, “I need it up so I can read my book.”
The window shade turned into a silent battlefield as daylight approached. The teenager dragged it down silently each time I lifted it to enjoy the early morning light. This tug-of-war continued for some time. His mother observed from the sidelines, her scowl getting bigger every time I went to grab the shade.
She
“I have to read,” I said in a composed tone. “And I prefer the window open.”
Her lips drew together into a narrow line. “You’re acting so self-centered!” she growled.
She jabbed firmly at the call button as the tension reached a breaking point. The flight attendant showed there a bit later, her look unreadable.
With an even tone, she questioned, “What seems to be the problem here?”
The mother complained right away. “My son can’t sleep because of this woman. She purposefully continues pulling back the window shade.”
I gave her my explanation and showed her my book. “I just want to read, and I need a little light.”
The flight attendant listened and gave a small nod. She turned to face me then, her expression serious, and gave me a small wink. “I might have a solution for you both.”
With a faint mutter, she leaned closer. “There is a vacant seat in the business class. You can have more peace and another window if you so want.”
I was surprised by the offer, but the expressions on the son’s and mother’s faces—mouths open, eyes wide—were wonderful. She seemed to be offering to take me to a different planet instead of merely the front of the aircraft.
I took it with gratitude and gathered up my books. Upon relocating to my opulent new seat, the flight attendant continued her work. “And for you,” she said, turning back to face the teenager and his mother. “We need to fill this seat since it’s now free.”
She soon made her way back with a new guest, a very big man who took one look at the claustrophobic conditions. “Is it okay if I take the aisle seat?” he inquired courteously. His voice was soft, but because of his bulk, there was a hint of necessity in it. Reluctantly nodding, the mother found herself wedged between her kid and an uncomfortable flight.
Looking back was impossible for me to resist as I took a seat in the roomy business class section. The man was now settled in the aisle and he started to snore louder and louder every minute. The youngster and his mother had a look of astonishment and anguish on their faces, as if they were pressed more tightly than before.
The flight attendant’s quick thinking made my journey into a tranquil getaway. The mother and son, meanwhile, had to come to terms with their new situation and probably thought back on their previous deeds. The man next to them was blissfully unaware as he slept.
I reveled in business class’s unexpected comfort as the journey carried on. I smiled and took the glass of champagne that the flight attendant had brought over, enjoying the sensation of the bubbles on my nose as I reclined in my seat. The calming atmosphere produced by the gentle clinking of drinks and the silent hum of the cabin was a far cry from the tense atmosphere of my prior seat.
I enjoyed the quiet surroundings and the scenery outside the wide clear window next to me as I turned the pages of my book. The remainder of the journey was a pleasant blur of leisure, interspersed with considerate service from the flight crew.
For a moment, our gazes locked, and I couldn’t resist smiling politely but little mischievously. The mother swiftly averted her gaze, narrowing her eyes as she pulled her son by the arm to advance through the line more quickly.
The woman on our flight continuously made fun of the passengers and crew, so much so that she had to leave the aircraft in tears.
Everyone on the plane, including the flight attendants and other passengers, was on edge because of a cruel stranger! She persisted in stirring up trouble, treating people badly, and taking whatever liberty she pleased! She had no idea, though, that we would not put up with her harassing us!
Hello everyone, this is Miranda. I have a story to share with you about a stranger who misbehaved on a flight thinking she could get away with it. But me and my other passengers put her in her place!
See, I’ve been traveling quite a lot lately, but my most recent flight has to have been the strangest! I normally tend to book rows six or seven when I can because they aren’t too pricey. The other thing I like about the rows is that they’re close enough to the front to make them convenient.
I made my way through the crowded aisles of the aircraft today and found what I thought to be seat 7D. I thought that 7D was my return seat while I was in 7F on my way out.
Errors occur, particularly for frequent travelers like myself who struggle to remember seat assignments. Before she arrived, I believed it was just a small bump in the road.
The woman thought she had the aisle seat when she came to claim my row. I informed her, “No, that’s my seat,” and gracefully got up to let her in, not realizing that I was in the incorrect row.
But when the row got crowded, I finally understood that I had misread my ticket. But there was an unexpected vehemence to the correction.
Her face pulled into a scowl, “YOU ARE THAT STUPID THAT YOU CHOSE the wrong seat!”
Continue reading this story here.
Though it has been romanticized for artistic purposes, this work draws inspiration from actual individuals and events. For reasons of privacy protection and story improvement, names, characters, and details have been changed. Any likeness to real people, alive or dead, or real events is entirely accidental and not the author’s intention.
The publisher and author disclaim all liability for any misinterpretation and make no claims on the veracity of the events or character portrayals. The thoughts represented in this story are those of the characters and do not necessarily represent the viewpoints of the author or publisher. The story is offered “as is.”