OKay. I have a confession to make. I am not a perfect traveler, all of the time. Once in a while, I am guilty of committing a minor faux pas or two (ex: blocking the main aisle a few seconds when I put up my bag in the overhead or reclining my seat back without asking the PAX behind me if they'd mind).

Most PAX I come into contact with handle my transgressions the same way I handle them from other PAX - silent tolerance. The only exception to this for me has been two occaisons when I have come into the orbit of an elderly couple traveling together where the wife has taken it upon herself to complain loudly to her husband about what I have done, in such a way to draw attention from every PAX within shouting distance from her. I swear, the next time this happens to me, I am going to call the elderly woman out on this and let her know in no uncertain terms that she would be better to address her concerns with me directly vs. to her husband and everyone else besides me.

The last time this happened was yesterday. I was on a red eye flight on NW from SEA to MSP. I had seat 14-A on a 757-300, which means that my two carry on's had to go in the overhead. A PAX who boarded just in front of me put two, very full size roller bags in the first part of the overhead, where I normally would have put my two small backpacks. I could have elected to slide their two large carry on's down and then have the opportunity to step out of the aisle while I put up my bags. However, since I don't like having my own bags re-handled by other PAX, I chose to put my luggage in the next open spot in the overhead, which happened to be in front of aisle seat 15-C where the same PAX was sitting. And so... I was forced to stand in the aisle and block the PAX behind me for about 15 seconds while I put up my two backpacks and then took out my iPod shuffle. When I turned around to go back to my seat in 14-A, an elderly woman standing next to her very hen pecked looking husband blurted, OUT LOUD, "Harry! That man is blocking our way!!!".

What the @#*&?!!! In hindsight, I wish that I had asked her directly if she was commenting about me, and then proceed to take a full minute or two and explain myself, and then tell all of the PAX behind her that they were delayed an extra two minutes due to her insolence.

Maybe the batteries in his hearing aid had run out

Since when is THAT "unacceptable"!?!?!?

I agree. But the other time I had a "Talking Head" incident was a flight I was making about a year ago from MSP to LAS in FC on a morning flight. I always recline my seat back as soon as the wheels go up. But if I want to recline my seat after the 10,000 foot level has been reached, I usually ask permission or check to make sure the PAX behind me does not have a laptop open (I would hate to damage someone's electronic equipment).

On this particular trip, I had reclined my seat at wheels up, and so I thought* that I had established to the PAX behind me in FC (no less) that I was going to have my seat reclined for most of this flight. However, as I always do when I am served a meal, I put my seat back up when our FC breakfast was served; this is both for my benefit to be able to enjoy my meal and also as a courtesy to the PAX behind me so they can have more room to enjoy their meal. After breakfast, I went to return my seat to it's reclined position and the elderly woman sitting behind me had a COMPLETE tissy fit to her husband. I was not intersted in listening to her snipe to her husband about me, so I decided to temporarily placate her by putting my seat back up again... for a spell. I then proceeded to re-recline my seat back in small, skotcsch like increments over the next 15 minutes until it was fully reclined again.

In the end, she had such a slow burn meltdown over this that when she got up to take a pee, her hubby switched seats with her so she wouldn't b**** any more.

-A

OMG, thanks for the laugh. I just had a GREAT visual, and am giggling by myself in my hotel room at just the thought....

Always happy to oblige a fellow FT'er with a laugh or two! Have a good rest of your trip! ^

-A