Last Friday night I was on Alaskan LAX-SEA (AA codeshare) in economy (3-3 config, aisle seat) and besides being annoyed that terminal 6 did not have TSA-Pre yet, everything was going swimmingly (Alaskan BR is not too bad) until we got to the gate in SEA.

As the seatbelt light went off, I got up to get out my carry-on. A guy sitting in the middle proceeded to do the slightly comical crouch-stand position and was leaning over my seat, which I barely took notice, until he started coughing. Not just a dry cough, but the deep, phlegmy kind. With one hand on the backseat of the row in front of us, and the other on the armrest, it was a full-on germified assault in my direction.

When doing heavy traveling, and have to face customers, the worst thing that can happen is getting sick. So I turned to him and said, "dude, you need to cover your mouth when you cough."

The look I got was a crazy cold stare. Then he said, "That makes no difference." I then said, "You're not serious are you?" He just kept giving me that crazy stare.

I then said, "You are acting like a kindergartner," and I proceeded to show him how to cough into the elbow-pit, and said, "you are going to get people sick."

The guy looked like he wanted to start a fight right there.

Is this just a case of pax stupidity (his part), or over-annoyedness (my part), or should I just have taken the germs and been on my way? Ever have a sickly person next to you and just quietly took the germs on?