Surly Seat Kicker

May 26, 2009

in Passenger Stories

I was on a relatively short flight, sitting in coach behind a family with a father, mother, and a boy of perhaps seven. A few minutes into the flight, I feel a kick to the back of my seat.

Kick. Kick. Kick.

“All right,” I think to myself. “There’s no sense being unpleasant. Surely one of the parents will notice their child is kicking the seat and ask him to stop.”

Kick. Kick-kick. Kick.

Patient, get-along person that I am, I suffer through nearly an hour of this before I finally turn around and say, politely but firmly, “Excuse me, could you *please* keep your son from kicking my seat? Thank you.” I turned back.

There’s a low-pitched, irritated conversation behind me. Then I’m jabbed in the back of the shoulder, none too gently.

“Hey, buddy,” snaps the father, leaning forward, “It was *me* who was kicking your seat.”

The parents then proceed to snarl to each other about how “rude” people can be.

To this day, I regret that I was too astonished to say the obvious.

“Sir? Madam? I must sincerely apologize to your son. I assumed, of course, than an adult would know better!”

{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }

Hugh May 13, 2009 at 1:42 am

Well, I guess you showed you, huh? How dare you complain about someone kicking your seat. I assume he (or someone) stopped kicking the seat? If so, take solace that you were the better person.

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Anomia May 13, 2009 at 1:11 pm

My answer would have been, "Good to know – I'd hate to have broken your kid's leg when it was YOURS I should break." (No, I've never broken anybody's leg. I just imagine it sometimes when dealing with rude jackasses!)

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Onslow May 18, 2009 at 11:46 am

I do not understand how parents can react this way to a justified complaint.

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Laura Cardwell May 27, 2009 at 10:22 pm

ah, testosterone fueled rage episodes by indignant dads. too bad he didn't try to physically attack you so you could sue him.

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Atari May 31, 2009 at 8:15 pm

Agreed with Laura Cardwell.

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Mike June 20, 2009 at 4:57 pm

???? You said you were sitting behind this family, how could they have kicked the back of your seat?

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David June 23, 2009 at 6:35 pm

I think Laura Cardwell suffers from an overload of estrogen.

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