Plane passenger refusing to respond to neighbor’s ‘polite’ request criticized

An image showing an airplane passenger’s brightly lit phone screen during a night flight has sparked a heated discussion about airplane etiquette on Reddit.

The image was featured in a viral post shared by user Mooseycanuck and has garnered 15,000 upvotes since it was posted on December 15.

The poster shared a caption with the photo saying: “My neighbor on a night flight. She didn’t dim the lights even after I asked her.”

The image shows a dimly lit airplane cabin with the bright screen of a lone passenger’s phone.

Was the poster making a reasonable request or does the neighbor have every right to use her phone at the desired brightness level?

Nick Leighton, etiquette expert and podcast co-host Were you raised by wolves?said News week: “It’s not a completely unreasonable request and it would have been nice if it had been met. But it’s certainly possible that the phone owner has legitimate reasons for needing to increase the brightness, so it’s best to ‘try to give him the benefit of the doubt.’

This viral post comes as more than half of Americans (57%) are preparing to travel in winter, with the majority (96%) planning to travel as much or more than last winter, according to the TripAdvisor study published in november. .

According to a December report from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), “robust growth in passenger demand” continued in October. Load factor – the percentage of available seats that an airline sells on its flights – reached 83.9 percent for international travel and 84.5 percent for domestic travel in October, according to the airline’s report. ‘IATA.

“Mutual responsibility”

Lisa Mirza Grotts, etiquette expert, author of A traveler’s passport for etiquette in a post-pandemic worldsaid News week: “It is curious why some passengers, regardless of class of service, feel entitled to disrupt a night flight when the cabin is dark for one reason: to allow passengers to sleep.”

She added: “While overhead lighting is available, shining a light on a bright phone screen is disruptive. It’s not just about you when sharing a space with others; consideration and respect goes a long way, especially on a transatlantic flight.”

Nicole Rose, etiquette expert, founder and CEO of Poised & Proper, said News week this etiquette is a “two-way street, especially in shared spaces like an airplane cabin…it’s about becoming aware and adjusting our behavior to ensure everyone’s comfort.”

Rose noted that there is a “mutual responsibility,” explaining that “while it is prudent for everyone to turn off their screens, it is also prudent for others to prepare for such situations.”

Leighton agreed, saying, “It’s always a good idea to have earplugs and an eye mask whenever you travel, day or night.” We can’t always control those around us, but we can try to ignore them.

“Rude” and “Inconsiderate”

The Reddit community largely sided with the original poster, criticizing the passenger with the glowing phone screen.

User JamonHamon said, “The phone does NOT need to be that shiny,” while leechpeach92 agreed, saying, “people are seriously that inconsiderate.” »

TwpMun added: “It boggles my mind how rude a person must be to flatly say ‘no’ when asked to do a simple thing like this.”

Quatropiscas gave some practical advice, saying: “When you have problems with another passenger, don’t talk to them directly. Always make your request to a flight attendant. They are better trained to deal with it and, if you are Face to an obnoxious jerk, there’s a chance he/she will make things worse, no matter how calm and polite you were.

However, some users were more understanding towards the passenger on the phone.

CacklingMossHag raised the possibility of a vision problem, saying: “She could have vision problems? I have terrible eyesight and am often told that my screens are too bright, but if the brightness is lower, I have headaches related to eye strain and blurred vision.”

User djluminol noted: “If you know you’re flying at night and the light bothers you, why don’t you bring a blind for your eyes? Why is your comfort someone else’s responsibility person ?”

Lostraylien added: “It doesn’t matter, they don’t hurt anyone, if you want darkness, close your eyes.”

News week contacted the original poster for comment via the Reddit messaging system.

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