This Redditor got stuck sitting on a plane in front of a mother and child. She refused to straighten her seat for the mom, but we think she’d been considerate enough!
Long-Haul Flights
OP (Original Poster) had a 15-hour flight ahead of her. The flight was scheduled to leave at 8 in the evening, so OP had been planning to get some much-needed sleep after more than 24 hours of traveling.
Flying With Strangers
Then, OP shared that a family of three was sitting behind her and her husband. However, the child they had with them seemed around three years old to OP, which she was sure was over the limit of kids allowed to sit on their parent’s lap.
Nonetheless, the child didn’t have his own seat and sat on the mom’s lap for most of the flight. This was the seat directly behind OP.
Frustrating Seating Arrangements
The first two hours of the flight were terrible for both OP and her husband. She shared, “The child kicked my husband’s and my seat, stood up on their parent’s lap to grab my hair and pull on my shirt and shoved the papers in the back of the seat in between our seats, poking us with the papers.”
It Doesn’t End There
OP shared that though she had breaks here and there, the child would switch to his dad’s lap and kick on her husband’s seat. It seemed to have no end!
Trying to Be Patient
Despite how frustrating it was, OP and her husband tried to remain calm and understanding.
She said, “We remained quiet as we know it probably is difficult traveling with children.”
Time for Rest
Four hours into the flight, the child behind OP finally fell asleep. So, she thought she could finally rest, too.
Reclining Her Seat
She understood the mom’s struggle behind her, so she only reclined her seat about three-fourths of the way. She didn’t recline it all the way, but it was comfortable enough for her to fall asleep.
An Uncomfortable Mom
However, since the child was over the age limit of those who could sit on their parent’s lap, the mom behind OP was cramped and struggling. After all, her child was already quite big.
Request From a Mom
Almost immediately, she felt a tap on her shoulder. OP shared, “She tapped my shoulder, asking me to move my chair up so she could be comfortable.”
OP was sure it was uncomfortable for the mom, especially since it was a long-haul flight.
Not Backing Down
Even so, OP didn’t want to straighten her chair up. So, she remained in her position.
She said, “I, however, remained in the reclining position, as I felt that I had put up with her child, making me uncomfortable for hours and preventing me from sleeping when I was in need of it.”
Did She Do the Wrong Thing?
Even when OP was adamant she didn’t straighten up her seat, she wasn’t that convinced that she wasn’t at fault. She knew that not fixing her chair meant leaving the mom cramped up in her space for an extended period, especially since she needed space for the both of them.
So, OP asked, “Am I the a**hole for refusing to move up my seat?”
What the Community Has to Say
People told OP that she wasn’t the a**hole in this scenario. If any, she was probably kinder than most on the flight.
A Redditor said, “Not the a**hole and a better human than me. No one is comfortable on normal commercial flights, and you have already sacrificed a lot for that random family. Parents feel they are entitled to more comforts way too often—simply for having children. And before anyone jumps down my throat, no, I am not saying that people should be a**holes to parents and/or children. I’m saying that parents should not expect everyone to bend over backward for them.”
Just Know the Consequences of Your Actions
Another user said she didn’t do anything wrong, but she did have to realize that her actions might make the child more annoying moving forward.
She commented, “As long as you realize that some actions you might take might make the child annoying in a whole new way. Do what you want—not the a**hole. Do parents deserve special privileges? No. Will agitating a child potentially result in a meltdown you then have to listen to? Yes.”
It’s Not Your Fault!
The community also wanted to point out that it was wrong for the parents and the airline staff to allow someone over the limit to sit on their parent’s lap.
One Redditor said, “From the age of two, a child should have its own seat. It is even required by a lot of airlines. So if the parents did not arrange that—and the airline did not enforce it—then it’s on them if their seat is too crammed with a parent and a larger child in it.”
Should OP have straightened up her seat? Was she being too inconsiderate?
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This post first appeared as She Refused to Straighten Up Her Seat on the Plane Even When a Cramped and Struggling Mother With a Child Begged Her To on Quote Ambition.
