My height has always been a concern, especially when flying. A fellow traveler on my most recent trip didn\u2019t care about my agony and willingly made it worse. But this time I had a clever answer!<\/p>\n
I am tall for my age, 16. Just over six feet! Every time I fly, I expect a terrible ride. My knees are pressed against the seat in front of me before we take off because my legs are so lengthy. It\u2019s not enjoyable! What happened on the last flight was the highlight.<\/p>\n
It began like any other excursion. My mom and I flew home from seeing my grandparents. Our economy seat had legroom like a leg prison. I was braced for the pain but determined to endure it.<\/p>\n
Things were going to get worse, I didn\u2019t realize. The aircraft was delayed, so everyone was nervous as we boarded. When the plane was full, you could feel the strain.<\/p>\n
I sat down and tried to position my legs so I didn\u2019t feel like a washing machine. My mom, who always has a solution, sent me a travel cushion and magazines.<\/p>\n
\u201cHere, maybe this will help,\u201d she smiled sympathetically. While paging through a magazine, I felt the first warning sign: a little shock as the seat in front of me reclined one inch. I looked up, expecting for a little change. No, it wasn\u2019t\u2026<\/p>\n
Middle-aged man in business suit in front of me was going to recline fully! Not that I mind people reclining their chairs, but there are some unspoken standards. Maybe look behind you first?<\/p>\n
Or maybe don\u2019t slam your seat against someone\u2019s knees when there\u2019s barely room? I was horrified when his seat reclined till he was almost on my lap!<\/p>\n
I angled my broken knees to prevent crying. It was unbelievable! Trapped! Leaning forward, I tried to get his attention. Excuse me, sir? Despite my irritation, I spoke politely.<\/p>\n
Could you raise your seat? I have little space back here.\u201d<\/p>\n
He glanced at me, then shrugged. \u201cSorry, kid, I paid for this seat,\u201d he responded, as if that would fix it.<\/p>\n
I looked at my mom, who gave me the look that said, \u201cLet it go.\u201d I wasn\u2019t ready to let go. Not yet.<\/p>\n
I murmured, \u201cMom, this is ridiculous. My knees are caught in the seat. He can\u2019t just\u2014<\/p>\n
With an eyebrow raised, she stopped me. \u201cI know, honey, but it flies short. Try to get through it, okay?<\/p>\n
I wanted to protest, but she was correct. The flight was brief. I could endure. At least I believed I could.<\/p>\n
However, the person in front of me opted to recline deeper. Not joking! His seat moved back several inches, well beyond typical, thus it must have been broken!<\/p>\n
I had to sit at an odd angle to protect my knees from being crushed by his seatback!<\/p>\n
\u201cMom, this isn\u2019t going to work,\u201d I grumbled.<\/p>\n
She sighed and called the flight attendant. A cheerful mid-30s woman approached, her grin withering as she assessed the situation.<\/p>\n
\u201cHi there,\u201d she said, stooping to hear us above the engines. Is everything okay?<\/p>\n
\u201cMy son\u2019s having some trouble with the seat in front of him,\u201d my mom said. \u201cIt\u2019s reclined more than usual, and he has no room.\u201d<\/p>\n
The flight attendant nodded and approached the man in front of me. She kindly responded, \u201cSir, I understand you\u2019d like to recline your seat, but it seems to be causing an issue for the passenger behind you. Could you raise it?<\/p>\n
The man scarcely looked up from his laptop. \u201cNo,\u201d he responded flatly. \u201cI paid for this seat, and I\u2019ll use it how I want.\u201d<\/p>\n
That response surprised the flight attendant, who blinked.<\/p>\n
\u201cI understand, but the seat reclines too much. The seat looks to have dropped six inches more than others. It makes the young man behind you uncomfortable.\u201d<\/p>\n
I could see his annoyance in his eyes when he looked up at her. No rule says I can\u2019t recline my seat. Maybe he should sit in first class if he\u2019s uncomfortable.\u201d<\/p>\n
I was furious, but the flight attendant looked empathetic before I could speak. \u201cI\u2019m sorry, there\u2019s nothing more I can do.\u201d She turned to him and said, \u201cEnjoy your flight, sir,\u201d before leaving.<\/p>\n
I sunk in my seat, attempting to cope with the pain. My mom offered me a comforting pat on the arm, but she looked frustrated. Then it hit me! My mom is always ready for everything.<\/p>\n
She carries a full pharmacy in her carry-on just in case. I thought she brought everything we needed on the plane. She had the solution to my difficulty when I unzipped her luggage. I took out a family-sized pretzel bag!<\/p>\n
I was getting an idea! It was childish, but I didn\u2019t mind. This guy disrespected everyone, so why should I respect his space? I murmured, \u201cI think I know how to handle this.\u201d to my mom.<\/p>\n
She arched an eyebrow but nodded, wondering about my idea. I opened the pretzel bag and chewed with my mouth open. Crumbs flew on my lap, the floor, and most importantly, the guy\u2019s head!<\/p>\n
Initially, he was too focused on his laptop\u2019s essential work to notice. A few minutes later, he stiffened. He rubbed his shoulder and head.<\/p>\n
I kept eating loudly and messy, even though he was growing agitated. His patience ran out! He turned, gazing at me with scorn and rage.<\/p>\n
He snapped, \u201cWhat are you doing?\u201d<\/p>\n
I naively looked up at him, wiping crumbs from my mouth. \u201cOh, sorry,\u201d I said, but I wasn\u2019t sorry. \u201cThese pretzels are dry. Perhaps they\u2019re messing up.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cStop it,\u201d he shouted.<\/p>\n
I shrugged. \u201cJust snacking. You know I bought this seat.\u201d<\/p>\n
He narrowed his eyes at me, evidently unamused by his own comments being used against him. Your crumbs are all over me. Stop!\u201d<\/p>\n
Still chewing, I reclined. \u201cI\u2019d be happy to, but your seat crushes my legs. Perhaps you could raise it so I wouldn\u2019t have to sit here.\u201d<\/p>\n
His face turned a unique red. \u201cI\u2019m not moving my seat because some brat can\u2019t handle small discomfort!\u201d<\/p>\n
I sneezed on purpose after saying, \u201cWell, if that\u2019s how you feel!\u201d His phony sneeze sent another shower of crumbs his way! Mom seems ready to intercede\u2026<\/p>\n
THAT was the breaking moment! He muttered something and clicked the button to elevate his seat with a look of defeat. I smiled as I extended my legs because the relaxation was immediate.<\/p>\n
\u201cThank you,\u201d I responded softly, though I know my grin wasn\u2019t as innocent as I thought.<\/p>\n
He didn\u2019t respond and turned around, likely trying to preserve his dignity. A few minutes later, the flight attendant went by and gave me a discreet thumbs-up. She seemed happy that the situation had resolved.<\/p>\n
Mum muttered, \u201cThat was clever. Possibly mean, but clever.\u201d<\/p>\n
I grin. \u201cHe deserved it, don\u2019t you think?\u201d<\/p>\n
She laughed softly. \u201cPerhaps. Be careful not to repeat.\u201d<\/p>\n
The flight was much more comfortable after that. The person in front of me kept his seat erect, so I could finish my pretzels quietly. I felt triumphant when we landed! Not the most mature approach, but it worked.<\/p>\n
The man stood up and looked at me as we disembarked. He shook his head and left after I thought he might say something. I was proud of myself!<\/p>\n
After we got off the plane, my mom gazed at me with pride and amusement. \u201cYou know,\u201d she added, \u201csometimes it\u2019s okay to stand up for yourself, even if it means making a little bit of a mess.\u201d<\/p>\n
I nodded, feeling much better than when it started. Yes, I agreed. \u201cAnd next time, maybe I\u2019ll stick to mess-free snacks.\u201d<\/p>\n
We headed to the baggage claim with her laughing and holding my shoulders. Or we might upgrade to first class.\u201d<\/p>\n
That made me smile. \u201cNow that\u2019s an idea I can support.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
My height has always been a concern, especially when flying. A fellow traveler on my most recent trip didn\u2019t care about my agony and willingly made it worse. But this time I had a clever answer! I am tall for my age, 16. Just over six feet! Every time I fly, I expect a terrible […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-28615","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28615","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=28615"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28615\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":28616,"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28615\/revisions\/28616"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=28615"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=28615"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=28615"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}