Imagine the sheer bliss of having an entire bus, a whole movie theatre, a parking lot, or even a public restroom entirely to yourself.
Privacy is indeed among the simplest, yet ultimate, luxuries of life. That is until someone decides to waltz in and shatter it all by sitting, standing or parking way too close to you and making you feel like they are invading your personal space. This is precisely what happened to a Southwest Airlines passenger, who was thoroughly enjoying the luxury of a nearly-empty flight until a fellow passenger made a move that completely irked him.
Picture a cabin so empty that the echo of your own thoughts can be the in-flight entertainment. That’s the kind of airplane that the story’s protagonist, Chef Anthony Thomas, had walked into before the drama unfolded.
Anthony from Washington, DC, describes himself as a “culinary mastermind and an ambassador for healthy living” on his website. The chef took to social media and shared the ordeal he experienced while being one of just a few passengers travelling on a Southwest flight.
A man, prepared to enjoy the bliss of a nearly-empty airplane, shared how one passenger managed to ruin it all
Image credits: Nick Morales
After setting foot on the quiet plane, Anthony was probably basking in the sprawling expanse of a nearly empty aircraft, with its empty seats stretching out like a sea of vacant possibilities. But his plans of luxuriating in the emptiness of the plane came to a screeching halt after another traveler chose to sit right behind him.
Despite having the entire aircraft at his disposal, the fellow passenger skipped the many, many rows of empty seats to sit behind Anthony.
The man shared how his fellow passenger skipped all the many rows of empty seats just to sit behind him
Image credits: Vitaliy Todo
“Imagine having the luxury of boarding a flight with only two passengers on it. Of all the seats on the flight, look where he decided to sit,” the chef wrote on Twitter.
Anthony’s bubble of privacy was instantly burst as the fellow passenger took a seat behind him. It was like the unwritten rule of “personal space” had been violated.
"Look where he decided to sit," the passenger said as he wrote about the incident on social media
Anthony, who has 17.6k followers on Twitter and 85.6K followers on Instagram, regularly posts about food to his social media followers. His aim is to “inspire others to embrace a healthier lifestyle and extend their well-being, one delicious bite at a time,” according to his website.
He received a ton of comments after he shared the plane incident on social media. Netizens wondered what drove the fellow passenger to choose a seat right behind Anthony as they travelled thousands of feet in the air in the nearly empty-plane. Was it the longing for human connection? Was it simply to pierce Anthony’s canvas of privacy? Here’s what some people had to say about it.
“I think these people are extremely codependent,” one comment said while another added, “It’s just like the folks who park right next to you and it’s tons of available spaces.”
"I'd move to the seat right next to him lol," one person commented on his post
Image credits: ChefAnthonyDC
“That’s the same dude that won’t skip the 30 empty urinals to snuggle up and try to talk while it’s business time,” said another.
Some agreed that it certainly is a powerful feeling to have row after row of empty seats to choose from.
“One time my connecting flight was so empty that they told me I could choose any seat in the airplane, never felt so much power in my hands,” read one comment.
Several people also commented and said what they would do if they were in such a situation.
“I'd move to the seat right next to him lol,” one said while another added, “I’m farting as loud as possible.”
“Maybe he’s waiting for take off? I go to my assigned seat before I start looking for an empty one that might be more comfortable,” wrote another.
In an unrelated incident that was shared last year, a man who flew from Sydney to Fiji said he was the only passenger aboard a “ghost flight,” which is a term used when the aircraft carries less than 10% of capacity.
The lone passenger, Robbie Allen, said his four-hour flight experience was “creepy at first,” but then enjoyable because of the Virgin Australia staff’s treatment.
“I was literally the only person on the whole plane,” Mr Allen said in a TikTok video.
“The captain came and sat next to me and talked to me. The staff gave me whatever I wanted,”’ he said about the journey.
On any other day, Robbie may have been travelling with about 275-odd passengers aboard the Virgin Australia flight. But that day, since he was the only passenger, he got to enjoy some extra special attention from the staff.
Several people online agreed that travelling on a nearly-empty plane has its own perks
Image credits: Owen Lystrup
“I had already booked business class but I would’ve gotten it for free if I didn’t,” he said and noted that he was given a glass of sparkling wine and a bowl of snacks by the extra attentive staff.
“It was such a strange and weird experience, something I’ll never forget.”
“Just wish I hadn’t already paid for business class,” he also said in the caption of the video.
Anthony's post about his fellow passenger saw a flood of comments
