Long flights can be uncomfortable even without drama. Unfortunately, a father-daughter pair had to deal with a crowded plane and a child whose parents failed to keep him in check.
A few years ago, a family fight broke out on a long nighttime flight back from India. My 14-year-old daughter and I were seated in front of a couple and their 9- or 10-year-old son.
As the plane took off into the night sky, the peace was shattered by the kid behind us repeatedly kicking my daughter’s seat. I asked him politely to stop. He paused briefly, but then resumed.
Frustrated, I decided to recline my seat all the way. This led to the boy’s parents, seated behind us, protesting and calling a flight attendant. The mother asked if I intended to keep my seat reclined. The flight attendant confirmed I had every right to do so.
After some tense glances, the boy stopped kicking. To make sure the parents got the message, I kept my seat reclined for an hour.
This story entertained many people. One suggested I should have waited until drinks were served before reclining, potentially spilling their beverages. Another person noted that many don’t understand the impact of such behavior until they experience it themselves. The parents didn’t care about their son’s kicks because they couldn’t feel them, but when their comfort was threatened, they took action.
Others shared similar stories. One woman recounted a man behind her on a flight from Egypt. Furious that she was seated in front of him, he kicked her seat whenever she moved. When she leaned back slightly, he demanded to speak to a flight attendant, insisting a woman shouldn’t be allowed in his space. The flight attendant informed him she had the right to recline her seat. Despite her husband offering to switch seats, the woman refused to move for the seven-hour flight.
Another person on Reddit shared their experience from a flight from the US to the UK when they were eighteen. They were seated in front of a toddler who kept kicking their chair. Politely, they asked the mother to tell her child to stop. The mother shrugged, saying her son could do as he pleased. The commenter warned her to rein in her child, threatening to make a scene if she didn’t.
When the mother ignored them, the passenger stood up and loudly complained to the pilot, asking if anyone else had the same problem with the child. They didn’t care about the mother’s growing anger.
Upon landing, their friends met them at the airport. The mother and her son walked by silently, heads lowered in embarrassment.
Even though some parents fail to control their kids on flights, one woman was once denied boarding with her child for this very reason.
