Repeatedly being kicked in your chair? Nearly crushed to death by a sudden reclining chair in front of you? Your nostrils are under attack by a smelly odor? Your eyes are burning after seeing someone clipping their toenails? Not everyone understands airport and flying etiquette.
But this particular passenger has documented an offender of poor manners on board her flight for the whole TikTok-sphere to see.
Taking to her TikTok page, Savannah Sterling, who had the window seat on her flight, shared a clip where she exposed a passenger who invaded her private space so he could take photos of her view out the airplane window.
Savannah Sterling filmed herself on a plane while a man sitting next to her kept invading her space to take pictures of the window view
Image credits: Killian Pham/Unsplash
Image credits: sterlingsavannah
The video of the nightmare in-air moment amassed over 4.7 million views on TikTok. In it, Savannah wrote: “Do people not know personal space? And that you can choose a window seat?”
The footage showed an uncomfortable Savannah staring at the plane’s window as an older man in the middle seat repeatedly reached past her face so he could snap photos of the view outside with his phone.
Being a non-confrontational person, Savannah admitted that her “only option was to stare out the window”.
Image credits: sterlingsavannah
A TikToker was so shocked that they asked the content creator: “I refuse to believe this isn’t your dad. WHO DOES THAT?” to which Savannah replied: “Can confirm is NOT my father.”
Other people rushed to the comment section to share their confusion and push others to speak up when faced with such a situation.
“It’s very important to be able to advocate for ourselves when someone is making us uncomfortable,” a person wrote.
Another individual penned: “I don’t understand how someone could not speak up in a situation like this.”
A separate commentator chimed in: “That’s when you ask, ‘Can I take the photo for you instead of you reaching into my personal space?’”
“Do people not know personal space? And that you can choose a window seat?" Savannah said
Image credits: sterlingsavannah
The viral clip prompted a debate over flying etiquette, with Business Insider writer and frequent flyer Monica Humphries weighing in.
“While I think everyone should be able to enjoy the view from the plane, I'd do a couple of things differently,” Monica wrote.
She continued: “First, I'd never enter someone else's space or lean over them to look out the window.
“I'd also politely ask the passenger sitting next to me if I could take a photo — especially if the view was spectacular.
“I also make a point to say hello to the person sitting next to me before a flight anyway, so I'd feel comfortable asking them if I could snap a photo or lean over for a closer view.
“And if I were in the TikToker's position, I'd probably just point out to my seatmate that they were in my space and ask them nicely to wait until I used the restroom to take a photo.”
“That’s when you ask, ‘Can I take the photo for you instead of you reaching into my personal space?’" one user advised
Image credits: sterlingsavannah
Watch the viral video below
There are unspoken rules on airplanes to help travelers be more comfortable. And although the middle seat might lose free mobility and impressive sky views, it gains priority for armrests, Diane Gottsman, an etiquette expert, told CNN.
She said: “I always say the middle person gets both armrests – gets to choose, let’s put it that way.”
Samantha Brown, a TV host and travel expert, echoed this principle and also said that the middle seat occupant gets both armrests. “The middle seat — they get anything they want.”
