1 Part Altitude, with 2 Parts Attitude = Air Rage in the "Friendly" Skies.

Taking road rage to a whole new level…….

I heard on the news this morning about a slight scuffle aboard an international United Airlines flight that involved a disagreement between two passengers about what constitutes personal space on a plane and a sense of entitlement that we, as Americans and perhaps even humans, have.   It is my understanding that at the start of the flight, one passenger decided to recline back in his seat which interfered with the small amount of space allotted to the passenger seated behind him.    Apparently, the encroached upon passenger took it upon himself to punch the back of the seat which only incited the reclining passenger, a small altercation broke out, with fighter jets scrambled to escort the flight back to land as it dumped excess fuel.

I can’t help but admit that it was only a matter of time before something like this occurred and truthfully I’ve become rather infuriated with reclining passengers especially if I’m in the last row of seats at the back of the plane and I can’t recline back my seat as well.   It was to be expected; however, as airlines are continuing to find ways to coral passengers into overcrowded spaces that don’t allow for much along the lines of comfort.   I suppose it’s something that you forfeit in order to fly, but these days my impatience (which has been exacerbated by my pregnancy) has forced me to drive distances as opposed to flying.   I can sympathize with the infringed upon passenger and I’ve been known to push back on a seat before, huff extremely loud, or make it known that I’m inconvenienced by the selfish acts of others.   I’m six feet tall, with extremely long legs, so I’m already feeling crowded enough as it is within the confines of a plane, most of which I can’t even stand up straight in without hitting my head, but is it really worth the energy to start a fight with another passenger?

It’s been a long time coming, and the only one to blame is again the airline industry, but it doesn’t do any good as nothing is going to change.   It’s almost a double edge sword, at least for me, because I would like for the airline industry to be held accountable and to understand that we are people not objects and should be treated as such.  Unfortunately, who is actually going to police the industry?   The government?   And if so, that’s not an option for me either as I feel the government is already involved in too many aspects of our life, but that’s another blog for another day.   I don’t know that anything can really be done about our treatment by the airline industry, but in the end we all have to think about what is the smart and rational thing to do.   Is our frustration really at our fellow passengers?   After all, they are just seeking the same comfort as we are while travelling.   In the end, it’s not worth the rise in blood pressure and the potential arrest.   While it’s easier said than done, taking a deep breath and thinking before reacting is usually the best policy.   Unfortunately, I don’t always go that route myself.