Things Passengers Think About Other Passengers

How often have you sat on a plane next to someone who made you hope for a multitude of outcomes that you thought were detrimental to your travel experience? If you travel often, there are any number of thoughts that travel through your mind –particularly when dealing with other passengers.

For a while, I thought it was just me, then the other day, I actually heard a co-worker echoing the very same things I had thought many times over.

Here are a few thoughts that people have but would never think to say aloud in the midst of other passengers.

Ever shared a row of seats on the plane or even sat in the vicinity of someone who is hacking every three to five minutes? Before the institution of mask mandates, one could not help but cringe at the sound and sight of an unshielded sneeze. Even now, the chances are that from the moment you hear the echoes of a cough or eruption of a sneeze, you begin to weigh all of the risks that this person is sick. Further, you cannot help but wonder about the chances that you might get sick as well? You wonder, did that flu or COVID vaccine take? When the individual enters another paroxysm of coughs or sneezes, you look to find this person and measure how good their technique is in shielding you and others around you from their germs.

If you are a big guy or girl sitting on the plane (as is this author), the last thing you hope to see is another big guy or girl coming to sit in the middle seat of the passenger seat row next to you. Let’s face it; We are a nation of curvy people. So most of us try to strategically position ourselves on that row, and you are left hoping that the other big guy or gal has done the same. If they were not able to do the same, then at a minimum if, given a chance, they will be able to move to another empty seat so as not to make a two to three-hour flight too miserable.

It’s a three-hour plane ride, and in your head, you have already begun making plans for all the ways you’re going to get a decent bit of shut-eye. As you strap yourself in for the plane ride, you look up and see two parents with three little ones coming in your direction, one of which is screaming at the top of his lungs. While you empathize with what the parents must be experiencing, given that the child’s behavior is probably beyond their control, you also cannot help thinking, please don’t sit here. Please don’t sit here, but then, the parent sits next to you and begins trying to reason with the child. It's insensitive to complain about something that cannot be controlled, but in your head, you’re thinking,…. why me and in a selfishly-selfless act, you look for ways to change your seat and put this family together.

It’s early…or it’s late… no matter the scenario, you are in a “zone” –the mental “do not disturb zone” and not looking to engage a stranger on the plane ride; however, they have other thoughts and launches into a lengthy conversation about nothing –or at least, nothing that appeals to you. So how do you politely extract yourself from the conversation?

This author loves to sit next to the window, but on occasion, I may miss the best opportunity to secure the window seat, and often, I end up in the middle seat because the aisle seat has been taken. However, I settle for perhaps enjoying the world's view during take-off, flight, and landing from the middle seat. After all, having a focal point can help balance the equilibrium.

Blocking the rise or setting sun is one thing, but there is nothing worse than sitting next to the person who is afraid of the view or wants to take a nap and therefore decides to pull down the “shade” so that they can nap.

Odors on a plane ride can be downright distracting to your travel experience. Ever been sitting on a plane only to have a strong food aroma drift over to where you were seated and tap you on the nose? The person eating it seems to be relieved for a simple morsel of food but for you, it’s as if someone opened up their day-old lunch and decided to partake in it.

These are just a few thoughts that float through the minds of many during flight!