Had a new DYKWIA experience yesterday afternoon.

We were flying from ATL-HPN on a CRJ900. Had EC bulkhead seats 5C/D. I originally had 5D, but the upgrade came thru which means the Princess (my wife's self titled name) took 4D per the original lifetime agreement that she gets all upgrades when traveling together (jk).

The lady sitting in 4A had this giant oversized carryon bag which evidently wouldn't fit under the seat in front of her. I was just sitting down in my seat, and she came back and started to put her big bag in the space just in front of me (where I was putting my backpack). In my low key Southern way, I politely asked her what she was doing since that was the space for my backpack which I was going to use. As you know, the bin space in the CRJ900 is about tall enough for a pad of paper.

Without saying a word, she then went across the aisle, and put her bag under seat 4A effectively taking the carryon space for the passenger in 5A, and then sat down in her seat. I couldn't believe that someone was that rude, but nothing ever surprises me anymore.

The passenger in 5A boarded, and proceeded to put her carryon bag on the floor in front of her. The FA came back, and told the passenger in 5A that she needed to check her carryon bag, since she came on board with 2 bags. The FA eventually sorted out the issue, and made the lady in 4A put the oversize bag under the seat in front of her.

I guess that the lady in 4A just wanted the space in front of her clear for her feet, and didn't care who she inconvenienced in the process.

I took a picture, as I couldn't believe what I was watching unfold. Not sure how to get the picture to post correctly, but here's the link.

http://tinypic.com/usermedia.php?uo=...4sJIh4l5k2TGxc

I cant see the picture

EDIT Never mind - I can if I go to the link

I have simply become unwilling to play this "luggage space in the overhead" game any more. Every time I fly, I check my "clothes" bag and put my laptop roller above.

Occasionally someone (who almost invariably has two carry-on bags and sometimes is trying to find space for both!) will "challenge" me with "Is this your bag? It belongs under your seat!", to which I respond "I'm sorry, it's my only carry-on and I want the space for my feet".

Maybe I'm the DYKWIA. Too bad.

The plane was a CRJ900, which has very limited overhead space, and certainly not enough for a bag that size. That was my original point, in that the bag should have either been checked, or put under her own seat, not someone else's. That's just rude.

Entirely agreed.

There are few places where I see people display their misguided sense of entitlement more so than on commercial aircraft.

On my transcons, I do the same thing. I'm a tall guy and I want to be able to comfortably stretch out my legs. So I use a larger rollaboard and check it, and then my laptop bag goes in the overhead, and that's that. I only had one person complain about it--I'm a "Big Ugly", so people tend not to smart-mouth me--and I said, "Think of it this way: because I checked my bag, you have nearly double the room for your *two* bags." And that was that.

O/H

Pitiful... I was once in 2B and a guy came and sat in 1B (bulkhead) and proceeded to try to jam his briefcase underneath his seat in to the space in front of me. That did NOT happen (lol) but I am still beyond amazed that there are people out there that consider behavior like that appropriate.

Couldn't this also be a potential safety issue since that is where the life jackets/flotation equipment is usually located? So if someone tries to shove their carry on under their own seat they risk damaging the life jacket (or at least the storage case).

Maybe if she put the bag on it's side it might have fit. Still putting it under your own seat is against policy.

You are the DYKWIA, a very selfish one at that. If it can fit under your seat...put it there! Provides overhead space for something else. I wouldn't call someone out on it because I don't know who's item it is and don't know if anyone actually has any free space under the seat in front of them. It's just very self-centered, and not that much of a sacrifice to just put a bag under the seat in front of you.

I take it that you aren't tall?

Those of us who have long legs and bad knees DO NOT WANT ANYTHING under the seat in front of them. It is extremely uncomfortable to keep my legs bent for a long period of time.

He is not a DYKWIA.

Well, you are wrong. You can place one bag in the over head compartment and one under the seat infront of you. If you only have one bag you can make your choice.

If that troubles you travel with a smaller bag.

"No problem, let's just check this green-and-white bag..."

Thanks, both of you. ^

I cannot understand the logic which leads some people to believe that if my sole carry on is a briefcase and I put it in the overhead, making it difficult for him to fit in his two oversized bags, I am the one who is selfish.

For that matter, I also cannot understand why I am expected to make the flight wearing my heavy winter jacket, and not put it in the overhead, if I have nothing else up there.

(I used to get around the latter by folding it carefully and putting it into my rollerboard. As I have been flying Biz Elite/FC for the past few years, it has no longer been a problem. The FAs hang it up for me.)

Me neither but I was not prepared to get into an angry exchange on this thread and have it shut down.