At 16, I’m over six feet tall, and flying is always uncomfortable for me, especially in economy. On my recent flight, a man in front of me reclined his seat all the way back, smashing my knees. When I politely asked him to move it up, he refused, saying he paid for the seat.
After unsuccessfully asking a flight attendant for help, I came up with a plan. My mom always packs snacks, so I opened a bag of pretzels and began eating loudly and messily, making sure crumbs fell on the guy’s head. Annoyed, he told me to stop, but I pretended to sneeze, sending more crumbs his way. Finally, defeated, he raised his seat.
The rest of the flight was much more comfortable, and though my method wasn’t the most mature, it worked. My mom gave me a thumbs-up, and I felt a little victorious as we left the plane. Sometimes, it’s okay to stand up for yourself—even if it involves a bit of a mess.
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