I Refuse to Let the Passenger Next to Me Treat Me Like a Toddler
Sometimes it’s not the turbulence that makes a flight unforgettable, it’s the people sitting next to you. That’s exactly what happened to Tara, a 32-year-old passenger who wrote to us after an awkward encounter mid-flight. What began as a quiet trip quickly turned into a silent standoff over a movie screen, and ended with a twist no one saw coming.
Fasten your seatbelt and join us as we read Tara’s story.
I want to share this story with you because I honestly don’t know if I did the right thing or if I just had a moment of in-flight pettiness.
A few weeks ago, I was on a 9-hour flight to New York. No space, bad coffee, the usual. I decided to pass the time by watching an action movie, Bullet Train, on my tablet.
Next to me sat a dad (let’s call him Derek) and his little boy, maybe seven or eight. The kid was sitting quietly, totally sweet, but every now and then, I noticed he was watching my screen.
He looked fascinated, like he was at the movies. Honestly, I didn’t mind. He wasn’t loud or kicking my seat. It was fine.
But apparently, it wasn’t fine for his dad.
About twenty minutes in, I felt a tap on my shoulder. Derek frowned and said, ’You really shouldn’t be watching that kind of movie. It’s violent. My son doesn’t need to see that. You should be more mindful of what you put on in public.’
I tried to explain that his son was the one leaning over, not me showing it off, but he just shook his head and said, ’Maybe pick something family-friendly. Kids are watching.’
That ’kids are watching’ line… it got me, I don’t know why. I felt like I was being scolded by a stranger for existing. So I closed my tablet and stared at the seat in front of me, trying to let it go.
But five minutes later, I glanced over, and guess what Derek was watching on HIS tablet? John Wick 4. Fights, explosions, full action mode! And his son? Eyes wide, completely hooked.
I sat there thinking, ’So, my Brad Pitt movie was a problem, but this is fine?’
