A Man Tried to Intimidate Me on the Plane as I Refused to Change Seats, but I’m Not a Pushover

Unfortunately, we all encounter undesirable travel companions. In this story, the man who disrupted the woman’s trip wasn’t seated beside her, yet he managed to intimidate her without cause. Fortunately, the woman summoned the courage to defend herself. Nonetheless, uncertain if her actions were justified, she opted to seek validation from others on social media.

This is her story.

“Last week I was taking a 12-hour flight that I had booked months in advance. At the time of booking I paid extra to choose my seats. The seat I chose was $55 extra and right at the front of the plane (trying to arrive somewhere on time upon landing). The seat also happened to be an extra legroom seat, and I am a 4’11” female."

“I check in, board, sit in my seat as usual, but as soon as the seatbelt sign was switched off I had a man come over and ask to change seats.

The first time he asked politely saying that he is 6’4” and flying is painful for him and can we please change seats. I was open to it until I saw that his seat was way in the back of the plane, and so I told him, ’No, sorry, I paid extra to sit up front.’ He kind of got increasingly mad and wouldn’t leave saying that there’s no reason someone of my height needs extra legroom."

“I suggested that he ask the other people in those seats if they could swap, but he refused saying that he wouldn’t want to bother other men or split up couples.

He kept getting rude and angry, so I just called over a flight attendant who told him to go sit down. For the rest of the flight, he would walk past for no reason slamming into me (I was sitting aisle). Was I in the wrong? Should I have swapped with him?”

These are some Internet users’ comments:

• 6’8″ here. Pay for the exit row or first class. I fit in regular seats if I sit upright and don’t lean back. 6’4″ pansy was just trying to sit up front to get off the plane early. What a loser, common courtesy right out the window. © Kinmojo / Reddit
• The way he bullied you after you refused was not nice. He tried to make his situation your problem, as if it were somehow your fault? He wouldn’t bother other men or split up couples. He refused to even ask anyone else, but he was fine bothering you just because you’re a small woman and he thought you “don’t need it.” That makes me angry. © cleaningmama / Reddit
• So, my brother is 6’6″. You know what he does when he has to fly? He makes sure to get an emergency exit row or whatever row has the extra legroom. He usually has to pay for it.
  Any tall person with a lick of common sense knows they have to do this for flights. This tall person knows they will need more legroom but chose to try to get out of paying for it by getting a person to switch. Did tall guy offer her to reimburse her for the extra amount paid? Of course, not. © Jedisilk015 / Reddit
• Each time he slammed into you, you should have called the flight attendant again to report the assault. Someone who repeatedly assaults another passenger should be permanently blacklisted by the airline. © MarramTime / Reddit

• Next time, he can plan better and do what you did buying your seat instead of harassing the only small woman he thought he could bully into giving in. If he kept running into you, you needed to have a word with the flight attendant. It’s unacceptable to have to deal with violence on a plane. © ParsimoniousSalad / Reddit
• My mum was 4’11’’. She often found that guys thought because she was little, she could be easily intimidated. It was usually pretty entertaining watching them try: she was the master of the quick put down. I suspect this guy picked you because he thought he could intimidate you. © MegC18 / Reddit
• The guy literally admitted that he didn’t want to bother other men. He chose to only ask the author because she was a small woman he thought he could push around. And then when he didn’t get his way, he began to physically do so. © old_vegetables / Reddit
• Tall person here. If I want more legroom, I can pay for it like everyone else. I don’t opt for the cheapest seat possible and then try to get someone shorter to give me the more expensive seat they purchased for free. You aren’t allowed to ask someone in business or first-class seating to switch to a cheap seat. Do they think they can do it in coach? © AbleRelationship6808 / Reddit

In our other article, we shared a story about a woman who refused to give up her first-class seat to a mother with a crying baby.