How to Survive Life in the Suburbs

On Sneezers, Party Boys And Seat Kickers On The Plane

in Travel on

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It’s not hard to be polite. Being courteous, using your best judgement and being kind should just come naturally no matter where you are.  Shouldn’t it?    This is why I find it so odd that when some people find their butts in airplane seats all bets are off!  They lose they manners and become walking, talking, spoiled children lost in their own little bubble of self-entitlement.  How does this happen?  Maybe this small group of peeps just didn’t have any manners in the first place?  What I do know; the more I fly,  the less tolerant I become of the rude, ill-mannered or inconsiderate flyer.  Here’s my list of flying friends I could really do without:

  • The Party Boy: For the love of all things decent, brush your teeth before you fly. Yay for you that you had a wicked good time last night. We can all smell ( I mean tell) that you were on quite the bender last night, but I think you could have squeezed in four minutes to brush your teeth before you dashed to the airport today.
  • The Aromatic Flyers: Deodorant, it’s for all our pleasure. Try it.
  • The Sicky: If you or your child has a constant case of the sniffles. Hand them a freaking kleenex. Please. If they are cough, cough, coughing, and sneezing with abandon into the tin box we are all flying in together, is it too much to ask them to cover their mouths? Gross.  There is not enough hand sanitizer in the world for me to feel comfortable sitting next to you.
  • DJ in Seat 16A: Headphones. If you have them, use them. If you don’t have them, you can buy them for about $3.00. I get that you love your tunes and video games, the rest of us aren’t enjoying them as much as you.
  • The Seat Kicker: Just Stop.  I beg of you don’t kick the damn seat.
  • The Fast Recliner: Everyone has the right to recline their seat. Would it be okay if we all agreed to recline at a slow and steady pace instead of a “throw it back and scare the crap out of the person behind you while busting their knee caps rate?”.  Ouch.
  • Must Pee 10 Times Lady:  Perhaps you are a nervous flyer.  Maybe you just had too much coffee before your flight?  Whatever your reason, if you know you are going to have to get our of your seat 9 or 10 times….or even just 5 or 6 on a three hour flight, perhaps you should request an aisle seat the next time you fly.  Food for thought!

Here’s hoping the next time you take to the air, you don’t end up squashed in between the rude, the obnoxious or the entitled flyer.  If we have to share that air up there in that flying tin can, it would be nice if we could just all get along.

    • Comments

    2. Yes, those things drive me crazy too! I will admit that I always get an isle seat because if I am in the inside I swear I could pee every ten minutes…….

      • I too need an aisle seat, I just feel like I can breathe better on the aislie!

    3. I too have become much less tolerate while flying. The fact that the space you are sitting in has decreased in size doesn’t helps. I have long legs and when those seats are reclined to their max my legs literally do not fit in the space behind that seat. I wish airlines would reduce the recline ability in relation to the decreased seat space. And speaking of decreased seat space…don’t splay your legs to encroach in my space or use the arm rest between us (plus elbow overhang) the complete flight.

      • YES!! I’m almost 5 ft 10 Tall for a women, not for a man, and I JUST fit in the seat. Those spaces have gotten smaller. It’s almost criminal, but the guy who splays his legs and encroaches in my personal space? he gives me the willies?

    4. My head is about to fall off with all of the nodding I just did reading your points! I agree whole heartedly! Picking just one of those annoyances as the most difficult to deal with is just too hard. Seat kicking is up there though!

    5. My hubby has to fly regularly for work and he often makes the complaints in your list!

    6. Just watched Project Mindy, she was unfortunate enough to have to deal or encounter each one of these guys. 🙁 So much funnier in shows than in real life

    7. I have to say I’m getting a chuckle out of reading your descriptions, and I have to say dreading having to fly. It sounds awful, people have lost their manners, and in such tight quarters, even with everyone being polite it is an endurance challenge.

      • LOL It is an endurance challenge! Pack your own headphones, a little snack and a good book and you can do it!

    9. This sounds like a not so happy flight. No deodorant is probably my #1 pet peeve.

      • The no deodorant thing leads to me feeling kinda nauseous. This leads to a whole new level of problems! HA

    10. I will add the “talk non stop to the stranger next to you” passenger… While I dont mind a little small talk; talking to me so I have to remove the headphones I have in, close the book im reading or stop doing what I am doing to make small talk with you… every 2 minutes… Not such a fan 🙂

      • Oh that’s a good one to add to the list. I love reading on the plane and sometimes that super talker just doesn’t get the message!

    11. oh I can relate to these, thanks to my restless leg syndrome I get up alot which is why I always get an aisle seat. We had obnoxious party boys on our last flight

    12. reminds me of the Seinfeld episode when Jerry is treated like a king in first class while everyone else is suffering

    14. I hate those DJs… all of them.. the bus go-ing DJs, the train taking DJs, and standing in line at the store DJs… they are the worst offenders because they are so cluelessly common