Drama Ensues After Man Refuses To Let Other Passengers On A Plane Pass By In The Aisle
Interview With ExpertAt times, traveling by flight can be quite tedious. The check-ins, the fear of missing your flight, the long layovers, the stress of catching connecting flights during a short layover, it’s all enough to frustrate you. And when the flights are crowded, there’s a high possibility of tempers running high and passengers snapping at each other over the smallest discomfort.
This poster encountered a similar situation where the flight was jam-packed and everyone wanted to rush to get out as soon as the plane landed. The poster also took his luggage and stood in the aisle when he got into a conflict with other passengers who wanted to collect their luggage as well.
More info: Mumsnet
Man was traveling to LA on a jam-packed flight, and when the seatbelt sign went off, he got his bag down and waited to disembark as he had a connecting flight
Image credits: Pew Nguyen (not the actual photo)
But then, an American lady asked him to move aside so she could collect her luggage from the back and go to her place in the queue again, but he refused as the aisle was narrow
Image credits: planeetiquette
Image credits: Pew Nguyen (not the actual photo)
She started fighting with him, joined by others who wanted their luggage too, but he asked them to sit and wait
Image credits: planeetiquette
Image credits: nappy (not the actual photo)
He refused to move and the luggage was passed over his head by others, it made him ask netizens if he was being unreasonable or whether the disembarking etiquette was different in the US
Image credits: planeetiquette
The story began when the original poster (OP) flew to LA. He said that the flight was so full that the lockers above were immediately occupied with carry-ons. So, as their work goes, flight attendants helped the remaining passengers by keeping their bags wherever there was space in the lockers. The poster had a connecting flight after this. So, when the plane landed and the seatbelt sign went off, he took down his luggage and waited to disembark right in the aisle.
But he was not the only one. Everyone had got up and was scrambling to get to their bags. And the aisle was too narrow and packed with passengers waiting to disembark like OP. While he was waiting, the American lady in front of him turned and said that she needed to get her bags from behind him so that she could come back and take her place in the queue again.
To this, the man refused and said that he was sorry but he couldn’t move as the aisle was narrow and packed with people’s luggage. He also mentioned that she should sit down and wait for some people to disembark so that she’d have space to move. Well, that did not go down well with the woman. She got mad and said, “Fine, if you don’t move I’m going to BLOCK the aisle. We’ll get the flight attendants involved.”
And she was not the only one. Another group of men from the front also needed their bags from the back, so they joined the woman and together, they confronted the man. But the man said that he was already annoyed after the long flight so he told them that waiting was a fact of life and they had to sit and wait. He also emphasized that the aisle was narrow and packed, which was not his fault.
After a while, the issue was resolved coldly, and the luggage from the back was passed over the man’s head. He felt that he was right at the time but when he thought back about it, he pondered if the disembarkment etiquette was different in America. And if it was different, he said he understood why the woman was angry.
Image credits: Jeffry Surianto (not the actual photo)
Fights on planes are pretty common. Rather, the Los Angeles Times has said that bad behavior among airline passengers is on the rise, reaching as much as 47%. And consider a plane going full house with many passengers who have the pressure of catching a connecting flight; well, it’s difficult to be a Zen master in such situations. So, it’s only human to feel frustrated, and it’s no wonder a conflict arose on the poster’s flight.
Bored Panda spoke to a flight attendant, Shanghman Tongsin, who has had 2 years of experience in a renowned airline. She said that usually, passengers who have to rush to a connecting flight avoid getting into conflicts with others as their minds are occupied with catching the next flight. However, it seems that the poster wanted to deplane quickly so he refused to let others move back and forth to collect their bags.
Netizens were quite annoyed by the poster’s behavior. They called him out and said that he was being unreasonable. As he took down his luggage but expected others not to do the same, this action was what bothered the netizens. They said that he was the problem for blocking the aisle and creating the conflict. Shanghman said, “Once the seat belt sign is off it is definitely beyond our control to let guests allow other guests in front to deplane first.” It looks like the man was being a nuisance and troubled the other passengers.
Many of the peeps online also pointed out the fact that people have this mad rush to stand up as soon as the seatbelt sign goes off. They said that they couldn’t fathom this behavior and that people should wait for the front passengers to clear out before the back ones get up. And blocking the aisle and constricting all movement of other passengers seemed outright mean to them. They told the poster that the general etiquette would be to stay seated after taking down his luggage and letting others do the same and move once the front has cleared up.
What the folks told OP sounds to be the right etiquette while deplaning. If all the people would follow this, conflicts among passengers would surely be reduced, right? What do you think? Do you agree with them or do you have a different perspective on the matter? We would love to hear from you. So, scroll down and type your thoughts!
Many people declared that he was being unreasonable as he got down his luggage but refused to move when others wanted to do the same
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Perfectly fine to ask politely if someone could pass it up from a couple of rows back. Any further back and you need to wait. The one falls under the unwritten rules of etiquette (like middle seat gets both armrests) and need to wait until the people make it past because the aisle is a one-way road and the only way you're going backwards is if nobody is standing yet. If you're on a severe time crunch to get to the next plane, you talk to the FA to get some assistance so you don't have to wait until the end and they'll usually either get the bag or make an announcement requesting people to stay seated for a moment.
OP is the AH. He should have stayed seated, or sat back down with his luggage. That way, the people who needed to get their luggage could have accessed their luggage and returned to their seats where everyone could/should have then waited their turn to de-plane.
OP was on of dozens of people standing in the aisle. You aren't going to get the group of 6 or whatever all the way to the back of the plane and forward again. If your luggage is a seat or two behind you, you can ask someone to pass it forward. If it's further away, then you wait for everyone else to leave so you can get to it.
Load More Replies...The bare minimum would be letting those people to get to their luggage. Not knowing where your carry-on is or if someone might grab it by mistake is an extra stress no one needs. Get up, get your luggage and sit back down to wait.
As soon as the seatbelt sign goes off, I stand. I broke my back years ago and the damage left me in excruciating pain to this day. I NEED to stand up ASAP b/c of the pain. If I'm allowed to stand, then I'm gonna stand!
Load More Replies...It is hilarious how people unsnap their seatbelts as soon as the sign is off and go stand packed and crooked in the aisle and in the front of their seats. It takes several minutes until the doors open and one can actually leave. Stay seated until the doors are open. I am always with the last to leave the plane, even when sitting in the front. Much more relaxed.
Sorry no. As soon as the seatbelt sign goes off, I stand. I broke my back years ago and the damage left me in excruciating pain to this day. I NEED to stand up ASAP b/c of the pain. If I'm allowed to stand, then I'm gonna stand!
Load More Replies...Every single he's the AH person commenting on here would have done the same thing. No one lets anyone by once a plane lands. It's common sense. If your bag is ahead of you, grab it when you go by. If your luggage got put in back, wait until everyone else deplanes and go get it. Your luggage ending up in the back is not the problem of everyone else on the plane. You should have boarded early so your luggage would fit above you. Not my problem and yes, I'm standing up and getting my bag as soon as we land.
Everyone that says OP is the AH needs to re-read the story. Karen & the Chads were in the front of the plane, their carry-ons were towards the back. They all wanted to go to the back, grab their c**p and go back to the front of the line. What is OP supposed to do, let them past and then wait for them to get back to the front? F-NO! They can exit from wherever they picked up their stuff. Also, EVERY flight I've ever been on, the announcement says to remain seated until the plane stops at the gate - even though everyone ignores that & grabs for their c**p as soon as the plane is on the taxi-way. The aisles are only so big, so there's no point in trying to be the 'first off'. If you think you're going to be late for your connection, let the FA know & they can call ahead to your next gate & maybe have an escort for you. How do I know this? I've done it a few times. I only missed ONE connecting flight in over 50 years and that was due to NYC traffic from LaGuardia to JFK.
He’s right. If your luggage is in a storage bin behind you, you wait until the aisle is clear to go back and get it. They needed to be instructed.
Perfectly fine to ask politely if someone could pass it up from a couple of rows back. Any further back and you need to wait. The one falls under the unwritten rules of etiquette (like middle seat gets both armrests) and need to wait until the people make it past because the aisle is a one-way road and the only way you're going backwards is if nobody is standing yet. If you're on a severe time crunch to get to the next plane, you talk to the FA to get some assistance so you don't have to wait until the end and they'll usually either get the bag or make an announcement requesting people to stay seated for a moment.
OP is the AH. He should have stayed seated, or sat back down with his luggage. That way, the people who needed to get their luggage could have accessed their luggage and returned to their seats where everyone could/should have then waited their turn to de-plane.
OP was on of dozens of people standing in the aisle. You aren't going to get the group of 6 or whatever all the way to the back of the plane and forward again. If your luggage is a seat or two behind you, you can ask someone to pass it forward. If it's further away, then you wait for everyone else to leave so you can get to it.
Load More Replies...The bare minimum would be letting those people to get to their luggage. Not knowing where your carry-on is or if someone might grab it by mistake is an extra stress no one needs. Get up, get your luggage and sit back down to wait.
As soon as the seatbelt sign goes off, I stand. I broke my back years ago and the damage left me in excruciating pain to this day. I NEED to stand up ASAP b/c of the pain. If I'm allowed to stand, then I'm gonna stand!
Load More Replies...It is hilarious how people unsnap their seatbelts as soon as the sign is off and go stand packed and crooked in the aisle and in the front of their seats. It takes several minutes until the doors open and one can actually leave. Stay seated until the doors are open. I am always with the last to leave the plane, even when sitting in the front. Much more relaxed.
Sorry no. As soon as the seatbelt sign goes off, I stand. I broke my back years ago and the damage left me in excruciating pain to this day. I NEED to stand up ASAP b/c of the pain. If I'm allowed to stand, then I'm gonna stand!
Load More Replies...Every single he's the AH person commenting on here would have done the same thing. No one lets anyone by once a plane lands. It's common sense. If your bag is ahead of you, grab it when you go by. If your luggage got put in back, wait until everyone else deplanes and go get it. Your luggage ending up in the back is not the problem of everyone else on the plane. You should have boarded early so your luggage would fit above you. Not my problem and yes, I'm standing up and getting my bag as soon as we land.
Everyone that says OP is the AH needs to re-read the story. Karen & the Chads were in the front of the plane, their carry-ons were towards the back. They all wanted to go to the back, grab their c**p and go back to the front of the line. What is OP supposed to do, let them past and then wait for them to get back to the front? F-NO! They can exit from wherever they picked up their stuff. Also, EVERY flight I've ever been on, the announcement says to remain seated until the plane stops at the gate - even though everyone ignores that & grabs for their c**p as soon as the plane is on the taxi-way. The aisles are only so big, so there's no point in trying to be the 'first off'. If you think you're going to be late for your connection, let the FA know & they can call ahead to your next gate & maybe have an escort for you. How do I know this? I've done it a few times. I only missed ONE connecting flight in over 50 years and that was due to NYC traffic from LaGuardia to JFK.
He’s right. If your luggage is in a storage bin behind you, you wait until the aisle is clear to go back and get it. They needed to be instructed.

























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