Bookworm Prevents Shuteye

August 20, 2008

in Passenger Stories

Me and my family were going to Hawaii for Spring Break of 2006. It took about 12 hours to get there. Since it took so long we had to spend the night on the plane. So as I was trying to fall asleep, I couldn’t because of a woman behind me and my family who, rather than going to sleep, ended up reading the whole night through. None of my family members got any sleep, including me. So as soon as we arrived in our Hawaiian hotel, we hit the sheets for the rest of the day instead of going out and exploring. It was terrible. People are really rude these days.

{ 60 comments… read them below or add one }

JL August 14, 2008 at 7:42 am

No, actually, it is you who are rude for actually believing it is someone else's responsibility to enable you to sleep. A woman reading in her seat is not the same as a screaming child or obese person taking up half of your seat. This is easily remedied.

Try personal responsibility. Take eyeshades next time.

Sorry, this is hardly a flight from hell.

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Les August 28, 2008 at 8:32 am

Are you serious? That's the most retarded thing I've ever heard. READING?

Really? You should seriously consider euthanasia.

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Matthew September 15, 2008 at 4:11 am

Was she reading out loud?

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Dennis October 8, 2008 at 3:51 am

Wow, what a whiner!!! Oh no…she was READING (probably quietly). It is almost impossible for me to sleep on a plane for more than a half hour at a time or so, and many also have that problem in those uncomfortable seats. So we QUIETLY read. If the light bothers you, wear an eye mask as someone else mentioned. If you don't have one, too bad, and it's not like the tiny reading lights on the planes are giant spotlights anyway.

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Kat October 8, 2008 at 7:51 am

I agree…..She was doing nothing wrong…..Take eyeshades or deal with it.

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Julie October 30, 2008 at 8:08 am

The story starts with the word "me"- indicative of the self-aborption going on with this person.

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Jeanie November 12, 2008 at 5:06 am

To quote my brother… "Waaaaaaah. Effin' waaaaaaaaah."

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Peter Foss November 20, 2008 at 10:52 am

The first sentence should be "My family and I." Learn to use your pronouns correctly, please.

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OG November 21, 2008 at 12:18 pm

This is the lamest story on this site. Somebody kept you awake by reading? Really? I mean, the reading lights pretty much are pointed only to one seat. If the very little bit of overflow light (from the row BEHIND you?) REALLY bothers you that much, you probably would never fall asleep on a flight anyway. The cabin is never completely dark, because the attendants have to be able to see. Duh!

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mj November 22, 2008 at 3:20 pm

For long flights, I always keep with me a package containing (a) an inflatable pillow, (2) an eye mask (3) ear plugs (4) a snore reliever also called breathe right (a small plastic device available from any pharmacy) which helps breathing during sleep which leads to more restful sleep even if you don't snore. For this investment of under $10, you get restful and comfortable sleep, and not easily disturbed by lights and noises

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Alix December 20, 2008 at 10:52 am

Reading! Right there in public, all night? The nerve of the b!+c4!

So who held the gun and forced you to keep your eyelids open?

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Anonymous April 2, 2009 at 8:38 am

When flying, one should assume that people around you are going to engage in various activities, like reading, watching a DVD movie and talking with others. As long as these things are not done in a loud or otherwise obnoxious way, putting up with them is a normal part of flying on a commercial aircraft.

Things like consistently sneezing or coughing without using tissues or something else to cover one's mouth qualify as thoughtless and rude behavior. Talking very loud and laughing repeatedly when the cabin lights are off and most people are trying to sleep would not be considerate toward others. Reading is not an offensive activity. The family members of this poster must be very sensitive to light or have little experience flying.

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Joe April 2, 2009 at 9:22 am

how 'bout some cheese to go with that whine?

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Anonymous April 2, 2009 at 9:53 am

I think it's rude to force someone into 12 hours of darkness and absolute quiet crammed into a cramped, non-moving position, just because you didn't think to bring eye shades. Also, if they're on a connecting flight, it's likely people started from a different location than your family, and therefore are going to have different sleep schedules.

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KP April 2, 2009 at 9:56 am

Okay, wait; the woman was BEHIND you, READING, and you couldn't sleep? OMFG, I think you have something stuck up your azz. And I bet your vacation was LAME.

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Anna Marie April 2, 2009 at 10:06 am

Would you have preferred that she be loud? Or had been a child? Get over yourself.

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P April 2, 2009 at 10:20 am

There could be worse things than that honey. She really wasn't doing anything wrong by reading.

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Juan April 2, 2009 at 10:24 am

Better living (or sleeping on aircraft) through drugs.

Oh, and I think they have an anti-whine pill for your other problem.

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Ethernet April 2, 2009 at 10:27 am

What a control freak, the family was minding their own buisness and being QUIET!! What the whole plane has to jump to yoru whims? You ain't all that.

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Kim April 2, 2009 at 10:56 am

I agree. Reading was bothering you? You have problems. In fact you probably snored or something and annoyed her!

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FedUp April 2, 2009 at 11:10 am

Thank you, dear author, for finally solving the mystery of how "flights from hell" actually come to be — because of people like you!!! Self-absorbed pains in the ass like you make the rest of us miserable. If you'd said anything to that poor lady who was just quietly reading her book, she would've been completely justified in shoving that book up your ass. Do us all a favor — drive yourself and the rest of your whiny family to your next vacation destination, mmkay?

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IDon'tBelieveTh April 2, 2009 at 11:21 am

Why didn't you ask her to teach you and the rest of the Kallikaks how to read them funny little black lines? It would've passed the time and a whole new world of books without pictures would have been yours.

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Anonymous April 2, 2009 at 11:39 am

it's called xanax and a few beers….tard

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Anonymous April 2, 2009 at 11:48 am

Another commenter mentioned the very thing I thought after reading this: 'Maybe she was reading aloud'. It was the only way I could see this being upsetting.

Other than that, I guess maybe this person has never flown before.

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mercutio April 2, 2009 at 11:54 am

OK the only way that I can see this bothering you is if the lady was using a portable spot light for a reading light and reading out loud the Harry Potter series. Not only ruining all the surprises (like whether Harry lives or dies) for your kids, but also going into the love scenes between Dumbeldore and Snape in graphic/pornographic detail. Unless you had such an experience, or worse, I would suggest that you be grateful that someone had the decency to do something as un-annoying as reading.

Just think they could have been trying

to light their shoe/bomb or maybe bring their pig on for medical reasons.

As this story is hopefully fake in the first place I think my rant is done.

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Drive Instead April 2, 2009 at 12:09 pm

Ever consider that the "reader" — like most people — can't sleep on a roaring airplane? You are likely one of those people, too, otherwise a tiny reading light wouldn't have kept you awake…

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ME April 2, 2009 at 12:14 pm

You fucking suck, whatever the fuck your name is…and you were molested by your Uncle Thomas

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S.M. April 2, 2009 at 12:31 pm

Sounds like this the person making this comment is the "rude" traveler. Someone quietly minding their own business reading a book bothered you… and I'm sure you and your family were probably upset that your 20 carryons didn't fit above your seats and you had to share the very air of the plane with other individuals who aren't on your breathing schedule too…. When you get a real complaint that doesn't make you look like an inconsiderate jerk come on back…

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ET April 2, 2009 at 1:04 pm

I can tell you are highly edumacated by your grammer and lack of reasoning. How old are you, 3? You do not have enought common sense to travel, please stop.

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slix April 2, 2009 at 1:12 pm

you should shoot yourself in the face.

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Constant Reader April 2, 2009 at 1:27 pm

I am SO glad I found this site – and this story – all of you commenters have made my day, absolutely cracking me up. If I don't have a book in my hand, it's because I'm in the shower. (Yes, I read while I eat. Yes, I read in bed. Yes, I read while… fill in the blank.) Thank you, sane people, for smacking this idiot – I'm only sad that it had to be verbally, instead of the physical beat-down the person deserves.

Happy flying, all!

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me April 2, 2009 at 1:31 pm

Loser

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Anonymous April 2, 2009 at 2:09 pm

"Since it was so long we had to spend the night on the plane." Really? Usually when I have overnight flights they stop at a hotel for me.

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Eric April 2, 2009 at 2:41 pm

Why, the nerve of her; reading like that! I thought they taught kids better than that in schools these days. You're lucky there wasn't a whole group of them troublesome, rabble rousing gangs of readers on board (I hear they run in packs called "book clubs"); they can really irritate people with their deafening quiet!

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jag April 2, 2009 at 2:49 pm

you whining asso. what is your complaint? I guess there's no shortage of assos in the world. And to think your children have a good chance of becoming an asso like you.

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jag April 2, 2009 at 3:00 pm

hey Peter Foss, enough with your fucking English lesson,asso. Please. You must be related to the moron who submitted this bitch

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Buttons April 2, 2009 at 5:37 pm

The passenger behind you has paid a fare. You have paid a fare as well. You both deserve comfort for the flight duration. Unless she was reading out loud, she has every right to read in-flight regardless of the time of day/night of the flight. I personally can't sleep on a plane, never have been able to, even on Red Eye flights I'm awake due to the position of the seats. The overhead personal seat lights are not that bright. When the cabin lights are dimmed, the overhead lights are for personal use. She had a right to use one.

I'll bet you think the passenger in the window seat of your aisle is a jerk for needing to get up and use the facilities, too. Get a grip.

Try wearing eye covers next time. This is an easy solution.

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Vince April 2, 2009 at 7:12 pm

I think this is just a fake post trolling for comments.

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mercutio April 2, 2009 at 10:13 pm

I have to agree with Vince it is a fake post just trolling for comments. But is fun to let off a nice rant on someone who is actually this stupid/rude, or the loser who thought up this story.

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kevin April 3, 2009 at 1:21 am

Best story ever. It should be on the home page so people know what they are getting into with this wacky site. This story really gets good near the end, when the author talks about exploring Hawaii. More importantly though, If this happened in 2006 and is being posted in 2008, this was such a graphic tale of mistreatment that the details remain fresh two years later!

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oh please April 3, 2009 at 8:40 am

Yes, how terribly rude of them for not doing what YOU wanted them to do.

Get bent.

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Paul April 3, 2009 at 11:16 am

Not exactly a flight from hell. What you don't realize that even though by your clock it may have been night and time to sleep but to the person reading who's home time zone can be many hours different. To the person reading it may have been the middle of the afternoon to them, depending on where thier trip originated.

Regards,

Paul

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last boyscout April 3, 2009 at 12:56 pm

Could this be the Lawrence Bently family?, Same 'it's all about us'attitude. Sure sounds like his wife.

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Kay April 3, 2009 at 6:41 pm

Out of curiosity…what's with the poster called jag and "asso"??

All his (her) posts use the same spelling of what I assume is "asshole".

Inquiring minds don't really care all that much, but…

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Kay April 3, 2009 at 7:13 pm

Great comment about the Lawrence Bently family!!

(For those of you who aren't familiar with the guy, google Lawrence Bently and read his flightsfromhell.com posts. No…don't search the FFH site itself…you'll miss a bunch

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Rob April 3, 2009 at 9:19 pm

I love the responses to this sad tale.

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Abhijit Sengupta April 4, 2009 at 9:21 pm

And hey, you forgot to complain that the lady behind you was BREATHING as well!

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j April 5, 2009 at 12:13 pm

This posting is obviously written by a child. No adult would feel the need to clarify that a 12-hour flight would require him to "spend the night on the plane."

And, as a child, whoever wrote this does not have an adult perspective on these things, give him/her a break.

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n April 5, 2009 at 12:14 pm

i LIKE ANIMALS MORE THAN PEOPLE!!!

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Marc April 6, 2009 at 4:58 am

I think the problem is that this guy is from Europe. For him to have an overnight flight of 12 hours which ends in Hawaii he would have to leave from western Asia flying east.

More likely that this is just a made up story of some poor slob without a job sitting at home on his computer.

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chef james scott April 6, 2009 at 12:29 pm

I would think you should pull your head out of your tush mate(tush is your rearend)

the lady has the right to read try closing your eyes idiot

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Joe Mama April 8, 2009 at 10:51 am

She was READING??? The nerve of some people!!! Maybe I should treat to a waahburger and some french cries.

Seriously, commercial airplanes are not the best places to get some sleep, but if I was tired enough, I wouldn't care if there was a little light on behind me or not.

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Not Jag April 9, 2009 at 12:39 pm

Kay: it's likely a way of calling someone an anti-social person. In some languages (E.g., Dutch) you can do that by calling them an 'aso', which is short for 'asociaal' (which you'll probably understand by now means 'anti-social').

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Kay April 10, 2009 at 7:07 am

Thanks for the explanation, Not Jag!

Granted, the guy keeps spelling it "asso"…which I could see someone doing because they didn't correctly hear how someone was saying the word 'asshole'…but you've pointed out a perfectly reasonable and probable alternative. (Heck, he may means 'aso' and doesn't know how to spell THAT!!!)

Now I can sleep at night!!

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GetReal April 13, 2009 at 5:32 pm

*gasp* reading?! Crucify her!

Idiot.

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jimbob April 17, 2009 at 11:58 am

you are a douchbag, every seat has its own light, if you didnt want the one from that seat on you should have sat in that seat. its a vicious circle isnt it? retard.

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Atari May 31, 2009 at 9:35 pm

While I will not participate in the lambasting of the original poster, I do agree that it was quite an inane story, given the context.

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Elisa July 11, 2009 at 6:04 am

Um, just so you know, airlines don't usually install things that cost money, if all the passengers are going to hate them.

What do you think the little reading lights are for? Admiring your fingernails during the daytime?

Planes have lights. People use them. That's why the airlines install them.

I refuse to believe you didn't know about the lights before you flew. Perhaps, knowing that planes have lights, you should have thought of some way to deal with that. Eyeshades?

While we're at it, we should ask that passengers do not flush the toilets while it's dark. Wouldn't want to wake you. That should make a 12 hour night flight very pleasant.

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College Kid November 5, 2010 at 9:38 am

trolled, all of you

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Shamu August 30, 2011 at 2:25 am

Suffer in ya jocks princess

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