Everyone on the plane thought I was an A**hole..

[TheBronzer]

[ QUOTE ]
Take the reaction of the lady in business suit for example: giving him dirty looks, but when somewhat confronted by OP she doesn't back it up with arguments. I hate when people do that.

[/ QUOTE ]

Ya, I mean sitting very close to someone on a plane for several hours can be very uncomfortable...I'm sure the lady obviously wouldn't have wanted to sit there too, but since she didn't have to face the choice, decided that she was going to look down on you for it.

Most people probably feel the exact same way, yet you just had the balls to speak up, as I would have too (perhaps in a different tone though)...nothing wrong with being honest.

[MicroBob]

as hopey pointed out, the lady may very well have been showing her distaste at the OP's over-reaction and drama. I'm also guessing the guy's friends laughing and making fun of him wasn't exactly the most composed behavior in the world. Probably a bit loud.

In short, the reaction was probably not due to the request itslef...probably more to obnoxious behavior about it.
I'm guessing the OP could have behaved more politely.


I can just see the OP turning to the woman and saying, "Oh yeah?!?! Well you take the seat!!" in a fairly conforntational manner.

Something as simple as, "I'll choose to catch the next flight then" COULD have been done fairly politely. Or it could have been really obnoxious.

[TheBronzer]

[ QUOTE ]
as hopey pointed out, the lady may very well have been showing her distaste at the OP's over-reaction and drama. I'm also guessing the guy's friends laughing and making fun of him wasn't exactly the most composed behavior in the world. Probably a bit loud.


[/ QUOTE ]

Ya, friends laughing and making a scene never helps out your cause

[neuroman]

Question for everyone:

What if Essence had no one take him up on the seat switch offer the first time, and then offered anyone on the plane $30 to switch seats? Acceptable?

What if I'm seated in the next row and I offer to switch for $30 out of the blue--am I an a**hole?

[SammyKid11]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
QFT. OP, you're an assbag. I bet you making a scene about not wanting to sit next to the poor guy made him feel really good about himself...as if he doesn't have enough to overcome without jerkoffs like you. Hope your immature prejudice was worth it. If I had seen this I'd have whipped your ass as soon as we got outside LAX. Idiot.

[/ QUOTE ]

Sammy, the guy is retarded. He doesn't give a [censored] about OP. He is thinking about candy and rubber balls.

[/ QUOTE ]

Way to demonstrate you know nothing about mentally handicapped people. My reaction was vicious for a reason. My cousin has Down's. He's the sweetest person in the entire world, and he would definitely be aware of it if some jackass like OP was refusing to sit by him because of his handicap.

If you're leveling me, disregard...if you're not, you're a moron.

[Case Closed]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
You're not an ass because he was handicapped, you're an ass because you were holding up the plane. I am sure the flight attendant had other [censored] to do than baby sit 2 retards. Just sit down and shut up for four hours, it's a plan people have to do that all the time.

[/ QUOTE ]

OP: Can I please have a seat change?

Flight attendant: No

OP: I really don't want to sit beside him. I will take another plane if I have to.

Flight Attendant: Ok.

Not a very long conversation. The pilot was probably still getting ready for takeoff.

[/ QUOTE ]

He also stated that he was walking around talking to his friends asking them to change seats. It's hard to tell at what point of the boarding this is. But if other people are trying to get situated and handle real problems and this guy is trying to get another seat for a four hour flight.

[maryfield48]

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A mentally handicapped person, with drool coming out of his mouth, was traveling alone? He must have been with someone. I'm sure then there must have been a way to arrange your three seats such that you didn't have to sit next to him. Logically, this story doesn't hold water.

[/ QUOTE ]

Since this is OOT, and 20 posts later no-one else has highlighted this, I'm guessing I'm the only one who finds it hilarious.

[Amid Cent]

If I were on the plane, I would have thought you were an A**hole. Since I wasn't on the plane and you explained your reasoning, I now think you're a total a$$hole.

[Vyse]

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Way to demonstrate you know nothing about mentally handicapped people.

[/ QUOTE ]

The proper term is retarded.

The totally unacceptable part is that this poor guy knows you are making a scene becuase of him. As if he doesn't have enough to deal with.

Let's face it, few in any of us would want to be in your situation on the plane ride. But, by "random" happenings you got that seat. Why not take it like a man, and say I'm going to be mature about this, talk to the guy, be friendly with him, and when I leave the plane thank my lucky stars that by the same "random" events in life, you were not born with the challenges he has.

Think about it this way. If you took it as a challenge to try and be a good person about this, I bet you would have felt pretty good about yourself after the flight.

The reason I say you have some growing up to do, is that if it has not already happened, sometime in your life you are going to watch a familiy member suffer of cancer or something - you will no doubt have to be there for someone when they are slowly dieing and you will have to be strong. You will need to be there for a mother, father, brother or sister when other so called family or "friends" are not coming to the hospital becasue "they hate hospitals."

Life sucks sometimes pal, and this isn't even close to one of those life-sucking moments. Suck it up, don't look around the plane for someone else to relieve you of your random situation. Take it and grow from the experience in patience, tolerance and being a good human being. Believe me, you will need this when you are older.