Newspaper Reader’s Nettlesome Behavior

November 30, 2009

in Passenger Stories

Last Thanksgiving I flew from Burlington, VT to Santa Ana, CA. I used frequent flier miles and was lucky enough to end up with the final 4 1/2 hour leg of the journey in 1st class. I had thought that this would allow me lots more room than I normally would have in coach. I was very wrong.

The “gentleman” seated next to me arrived with an armful of newspapers which were promptly placed on the center console and then slid over until they did not encroach on his seat, but were significantly in mine. I asked politely if he would move them over when he had a chance. You would have thought I had asked a near impossible task. He totally rearranged everything in the overhead bin, including my carry-on which he complained about because his “carry-on” would not fit. Once settled he sat about “reading” his newspapers. As he finished each section he dropped it onto the floor in the aisle. Each time a flight attendant passed she explained that this was unsafe and would he please refrain. Finally, the head flight attendant had to talk to him. He asked where he was supposed to put them. He was told at his feet, which he proceeded to do, but instead of folding up the sections as he had been, he just dropped them, and when he finally finished he called the flight attendant and asked her to remove the trash. He spent the remainder of the flight complaining, as if by that point I really cared.

 So much for grabbing some shut-eye.  The return flight in coach was immeasurably better.

{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }

Demotage November 30, 2009 at 3:21 am

I hate people on planes that feel that whatever space they can commandeer is thus their space, regardless of how it affects their fellow passengers.

I once took a flight where I wad sitting in the second row of coach. When I got to my seat, I found that the two suits in the first row had filled the overheads with their luggage, and in addition had crammed additional stuff under their seats. I could not even put my feet under the seat in front of me, let alone stow my backpack there (which would not fit in the overhead because of their crap. ). I asked them to take the stuff out from under the seat, but they told me no "because we don't have a seat in front of us to put our stuff under". I told them that was the consequence of sitting on the bulkhead, and they needed to love their stuff. They refused, so I called the FA. She told thencto take their stuff from under the seat. Since they'd stuffed the bins and there was no where to put it, they had to check one of their bags. Karma is a bitch.

Reply

Demorage November 30, 2009 at 3:23 am

That is "move" their stuff, although as far as I know, they nay have loved it as well 😉

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j November 30, 2009 at 1:32 pm

"they needed to love their stuff" I'm glad you didn't have to watch them do that!

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