Flying often means sitting in a metal tube full of tired, irritated people, crying toddlers and some of the most entitled folks on the planet. As expensive as it might seem, some people opt to pay more for first class, just to get a little more peace and quiet.
A woman vented her frustration with an entitled mom who forgot to book her toddler a plane seat and then was seated next to her in first class. The mom then threatened to make her toddler cause a ruckus just to make the entire situation worse. We reached out to the woman in the story via private message and will update the article when she gets back to us.
Flying means being in a confined space with all sorts of people
Image credits: wirestock / envato (not the actual photo)
But one woman ended up being seated with a mom who thought she was entitled to first class
Image credits: nuttapong_mohock / envato (not the actual photo)
Image credits: Level_Neighborhood96
Flying is simultaneously a miracle of modern technology and an ordeal
Air travel is a strange mixture of fantastic infrastructure and technological marvels with all the worst annoyances humanity has to offer. In exchange for being able to be in another continent in under a day, we sometimes have to go through the rigors of airports and economy seats. This is a fair trade, all things considered, but in the moment, it might end up feeling like too much.
After all, if one goes through the long list of things you have to do before you even step foot on a plane, it’s easy to see just how quickly frustrations can build up. Flight prices are chaotic and sometimes stressful, as they can be a very limited commodity. Then comes the hassles of finding luggage, making sure it fights and that it doesn’t weigh too much.
But wait, there’s more. Most airports are, sensibly, not located close to dense urban areas, so you have to get there first. If you are checking in luggage, you have to get there early and let’s face it, some flights are at absolutely terrible times. As a result, some fliers are on a handful of hours of sleep when they just arrive at the airport. Even perfectly unentitled and calm people can become irritable and rude in the wrong circumstances.
Airports tend to be crowded and chaotic
Then you have to go through the usual process of checking in, which, mercifully, many airlines allow you to do online. Afterwards, you go through security, which can be a breeze or a deeply annoying process, depending on where you are. The entire time, you are surrounded by other people who might be just as irritated or even worse.
Remember, these are the things one goes through before even stepping foot on a plane. Some airports are also designed as a sort of eldritch prison to confuse and horrify human minds. Regardless, unless you are very late and practically running through the airport, you’ve reached your gate.
Depending on the airline, your seat and the passengers, your flight can range from uneventful and pleasant to situations so horrible you will be recounting them for the rest of your life. Most folks fly economy, which can mean an extended period of time with restricted legroom, dry air and perhaps a crying child. It might be useful to learn some tips and tricks from professional fliers like flight attendants to make your journey more pleasant.
Seating can also become an issue when families are split up. Some airlines charge extra for the “privilege” of picking a seat, but generally this is just the result of buying tickets late. However, “forgetting” to book a ticket for a child is both irresponsible and somewhat unhinged.
Entitled people often truly believe that they should get everything they want
There is some evidence that flying is indeed stressful even when some folks’ fear of flying is removed. Some people seem to be unable to contain themselves and there is an unfortunate increase in “air rage” incidents over the last few years.
While this particular story doesn’t exactly fit the conventional description of “air rage,” it’s still worth noting that this mom was perfectly willing to use her own child as a weapon. Threatening a paying passenger with a disruption is beyond entitled, particularly when you’ve received a fully free upgrade.
However, this is unfortunately common behavior for entitled people. Psychologists suggest that there is a pretty strong link between being a narcissist and entitled behavior. After all, narcissists believe that they are simply superior and more worthy than others, so in their minds, they are rightfully entitled to whatever they want.
This means that when their delusions bounce off of reality, things tend to get nasty. Unless the entitled person is a family member, most of us can just walk away from situations like this, but you can’t exactly exit a flight whenever you feel like it. Fortunately, the flight attendant came to the rescue. After all, splurging for first class and then having the experience ruined would have been a tragic outcome.
The woman shared a few more details in the comments
Readers were surprised at just how rude and entitled the mom was
