My name is Alex, I am 29, and I paid extra for a window seat on a 24-hour flight because I truly wanted some personal space to rest, to read, and maybe catch a few hours of much-needed sleep. Everything seemed absolutely fine until a young mom asked if I could switch seats, so her toddler could sit right by the window. I politely said a very firm no, because I had paid for that exact seat and I really needed the rest. She frowned at me, but eventually sat down anyway, glaring at me like I had personally offended her, which, as you can probably guess, I had not done.
About an hour into the flight, her small kid went into a full meltdown mode, screaming, kicking my arm violently, and throwing toys absolutely everywhere. The mom just casually laughed, saying, “He is just excited, do not take it personally.” I tried hard to remain calm, letting her gently know that her child was physically hurting my arm, but she simply shrugged the whole issue off.
Then she stood up, leaned over me, and said with a smug smirk, “Why do not you just switch now? You cannot truly be that selfish, right?” I immediately got angry. I realized this was not about kindness or any sort of understanding. This was entirely about a deep sense of entitlement. I desperately wanted to scream at her, but I held it completely together and firmly said a clear no again.
By the end of the 24-hour flight, my arm was thoroughly bruised, and my patience was completely stretched thin. I was utterly exhausted, frustrated, and a little shaken by the encounter. I kept thinking: where does empathy truly end, and where does pure selfishness actually begin? I did not want to escalate the situation, but I also knew I could not just silently take the abuse from someone who felt their own convenience mattered far more than my personal well-being.
