Copyright glasgowlive
A woman has come under fire after refusing to swap her plane seat for a child - but she's refusing to back down. Aeroplane seating etiquette often sparks heated debates, with travellers holding firm views on what constitutes proper and courteous behaviour. When families board a plane, some of their fellow passengers may feel nervous about the youngsters' possible conduct as they're more likely to struggle to control their feelings and actions than adults. When mums and dads ensure their little ones show respect and consideration towards others, other travellers are more inclined to show patience if problems occur. One woman encountered fury from a mum, plus her own colleagues, after she declined to give up the seat she'd paid additional money for. Following her workmate's decision to tell their office colleagues about what happened on the plane, she discovered herself labelled the "office villain". Writing on Reddit, she revealed: "I booked months ahead and paid 58 extra for an aisle in the quiet section near the front. I am small but my back hates being jammed in the middle, so I save for good seats." The woman was eager to catch some shut-eye during the journey as, despite the seven hour flight, she had to go and meet a work client just a few hours after landing. Once she'd settled into her seat and was making herself comfortable, "a couple and two kids" who had arrived "late" came over and requested she "swap" seats so the family could sit together. The father told her: "We have a six-year-old and a toddler, you can take 32B." However, 32B was a middle seat towards the rear of the aircraft, adjacent to the toilets. The woman declined and explained she had specifically "chosen and paid for this seat". The parents persisted though and the mother said: "It's just one seat, be human". Yet the woman continued to refuse. A cabin crew member then clarified that passengers aren't required to exchange seats, and requested the family occupy their allocated spots. They complied, with the father sitting across the aisle with one child and the mother sitting behind the woman with their other child. The situation escalated further. The woman was attempting to rest when she was "poked" by the child, who had begun "running cars on [her] armrest" while the mother filmed her. She requested the mother stop filming her without permission but she refused. The father then remarked: "Wow, some people are so rude to children". Feeling "hot and shaky", the woman activated the call button to summon cabin crew assistance. They "backed [her] up and asked" the mother to stop recording, which she eventually did. During the first hour of the journey, the child repeatedly kicked the woman's seat back - "gentle but constant" - and when she asked for the little boy to stop, the mother claimed he was "only a child" and again pressed for her to swap seats. When she declined, the mother "muttered that single women don't understand family life". The woman continued: "On Monday at work, a co-worker who was on the same flight tells people I refused to help a family. Suddenly I'm the ice queen of accounting. One guy says if you don't want to help kids, don't fly. "Another says I should be more flexible since I don't have responsibilities at home. I said my responsibility is the body I live in and the job I had to do 5 hours after landing." The woman explained she would've been willing to swap for an equivalent seat but insisted: "I am not giving up sleep and back health for a middle [seat] next to the toilet because someone else did not plan." Other Reddit users backed the woman, agreeing that both the family and her work colleagues were being unreasonable.
