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Flight Attendants Intervene Twice As Tensions Rise Between Boomers And A Mom That Won’t Move
Interview With Expert
When you’re stuck on a plane with dozens of other passengers, the least you can hope for is a peaceful flight. But one person got exactly the opposite during a recent trip with their daughter and cat. They’d just settled into their seat, placed their kitty underneath, and fastened their child’s seatbelt to prepare for take-off when all hell broke loose.
Finger flipping, name calling and threats to call security were the order of the day. All for the mediocre middle seat. That someone else wanted to claim as their own. A flight attendant was called more than once to diffuse the situation. The angry passenger took to an online community to vent, ending their rant with some choice words for people from the older generation. Bored Panda chatted to international etiquette expert Diane Gottsman about the unwritten rules of air travel.
Traveling alone with a child and pet is stressful enough without the added drama of someone trying to steal your seat
Image credits: friends_stock (Not the actual photo)
This mom was shocked when she was sworn at for refusing to swap seats because she wanted to sit with her daughter
Image credits: thichas (Not the actual photo)
Image credits: gayblobofgender
The mom says she was called an “entitled childless cat lady” and that her daughter was blocked from using the bathroom
Not all seats are born the same. And you might agree that the middle seat on a plane wasn’t first in line for comfort, convenience or a crystal clear view of the sky. Needless to say, the middle seat is not usually the one people will go down fighting for. So we can just imagine the OPs surprise when someone demanded they give up their middle seat. But they were even more shocked that the other passenger expected them to sit at the back of the plane, separate from their young daughter.
In life, there are unwritten rules we follow, and certain etiquette we abide by. Even, or especially when traveling. Diane Gottsman is an international etiquette expert and respected leader in etiquette training. Gottsman is also the founder of The Protocol School of Texas. She kindly agreed to chat to Bored Panda and weigh in on the saga. Gottsman says there is only one acceptable scenario where it’s okay to ask a fellow traveler to trade seats. And even then, you should first exhaust all other measures. Like speaking to the airline, a flight attendant or travel agents. Ideally before you board the plane.
Image credits: Pixabay (Not the actual photo)
According to an etiquette expert, asking another passenger to swap seats is a big no-no in most cases
“If you were traveling with a young child, and for some reason, your seats were separated, you can politely ask to make a switch, but ask someone with the same seat in a different aisle,” Gottsman told us. But the passenger should only do this if they had planned their travels properly, and found there was “no possible way” to make it happen. They also need to bear in mind that asking another passenger directly puts that person in an awkward situation.
According to Gottsman, “You don’t ask a passenger to swap seats with you because you don’t like the location of your seat on the plane, or two of your friends are together and you want to be close. It should be for a good reason or you should have made seat arrangements in advance.”
It also totally goes against travel etiquette to offer someone a worse seat than the one they have
“Generally speaking, the unspoken rule when it comes to seat swaps is that only better or equivalent exchanges should be offered,” said travel blog, The Points Guy. “Maybe you lose an aisle seat, but gain some leg room in a bulkhead seat, or you trade your window seat next to the toilet for a middle seat at the front of the main cabin.”
Gottsman agrees, “You never just sit down and wait for the passenger to arrive that you want to occupy their seat. When the passenger arrives, you politely ask if they would mind changing seats, in other words, window for window, aisle for aisle, etc. But never an aisle for a middle seat.”
Image credits: Jason Toevs (Not the actual photo)
The OP thought they were handling the situation well by calling a flight attendant to clear up the confusion
Afterall, flight attendants are specially trained to de-escalate drama between fellow passengers. One flight attendant told Business Insider that they’ve received more deescalation training than ever before. “I’ve noticed my job consists more of consoling, comforting, and de-escalating passengers than it did previously — it’s a lot of management.”
“There should never be a public outburst, profanity or physical violence on an airplane,” said Gottsman when asked about her thoughts on the OP’s post. “If you are really unhappy with your seat, and there is no way to change it, rather than an outburst which will end up on social media, either take a seat or opt for another flight. Common courtesy, and understanding are always the best options when dealing with strangers, friends, and family members.”
There’s a lot more stress in the skies in recent years
In August, the Federal Aviation Administration said airlines have already reported more than 1,240 unruly passenger cases in 2024. Last year, they dealt with 2,455 cases. It was way more than 2019, before the pandemic, when there were 1,161 reports. As Explore wrote, “Many experts also think that people have become more entitled and less able to tolerate stress after the COVID-19 pandemic. Things got so bad during that time that the FAA introduced a zero-tolerance policy against unruly passengers, which has been extended into our post-pandemic era.”
The flight attendant wanted to remind travelers that kindness is key. “You truly never know why someone next to you is traveling — it could be to see a loved one for the last time. We need to take care of ourselves and each other.” In the case of the OP, neither they nor the elderly passenger knew why the other was traveling.
Many people felt the airline didn’t do enough and that the elderly couple should have been removed from the flight
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What do you think ?
LeMurierBonjour 2 months ago
FFS! The behaviour has nothing to do with age or generation. The woman was just a rude, entitled twat. Now, substitute the word boomer for a race or perhaps sexual orientation, then read it back. You will realise that age, race, whatever is not the cause of the behaviour; the cause is that the woman (and her husband) was a douchebag anyway.
Papa 2 months ago
Isn't it funny how some people think bigotry or prejudice against some groups is okay, when they'd lose their ever loving minds if the same things were said about other groups?
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RU Mymudder 2 months ago
What’s with all the boomer bashing on BP lately? I’m a young boomer - born in 61 - and would never do this.
Uncle Schmickle 2 months ago
This is just dreadful behaviour, NOT usually associated with boomers. I'm a boomer ( from Australia ) and was strongly taught to be polite and respectful to all.
Pieter LeGrande 2 months ago
Nothing to do with 'boomerism' - just plain old self-entitlement.
Load More Replies... Limey 2 months ago
STOP THIS BOOMER NONSENSE. this kind of thing has nothing to do with age or generation. I have said before and will keep saying, it would be totally unacceptable to post this if you replaced “boomer” with a race, ethnicity or religion, more so if you used a derogatory term (and you all know what I mean). As a “boomer” who was taught to be polite and respectful, and one who still had plenty of life left to go, this is hurtful. Please stop this prejudicial cr*p.
nottheactualphoto 2 months ago
Hear hear! This fecal matter has to stop. But of course, it won't.
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Panda McPandaface 2 months ago
I honestly do not think that this is typical 'boomer' behaviour. I am in the UK and *just* - 1963 - a 'boomer'. We were taught manners and good behaviour (on the most part). There are rude and entitled c*mts of any age. They all need to be told when enough is more than enough.
KathyT 2 months ago
Why all of the sudden Boomer bashing? I'm a Boomer and I don't do any of the behaviors that are being attributed to my age cohort. People use these types of terms to dehumanize others, and it's offensive. Get over yourselves. We're all just human beings with individual attributes, negative and positive.
John Harrison 2 months ago (edited)
Victimized woman. Check. Misbehaving boomer. Check. Missing: Bratty child, entitled mother-in-law, lazy husband, doctor that won't empathize, demanding boss. (Edit: C**p rage-bait content ... check. Robyn Smith is really giving Andréa Oldereide a run for her money)
Bec 2 months ago
Yeah, seems like rage bait bs. I am dubious, because how does this continue to happen when we all pick and pay through the nose for our seats, she's not going to leave her 12 years old sitting with strangers, and people are thrown off flights for far less, there are usually 5-6 people either overbooked or on standby and the airline would gladly get rid of an unruly passenger and still get paid for the seats
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AnnaB 2 months ago
First of all, I think half these airplane seat stories are made up, but if this one happens to be legit, it has nothing to do with age. It has to do with an entitled, nasty person who has probably been this way her entire life. Not everything has to do with being a 'boomer'. Some people are just naturally rotten.
Mark Savoie 2 months ago
These are horrible people. Then again, referring to a class of people based on the actions of one couple may be a sign that you yourself are a REDACTED DOUBLE-REDACTED.
StumblingThroughLife 2 months ago
What's with the stereotyping? I'm uncertain what age group they're talking about, but maaan, in general, humans can be horrible, & it has nothing to do with age or sex. I bet everyone has seen entitlement and bad behaviour in all ages of peeps.
Edward Treen 2 months ago
Entitled nasty twats can be found in ALL age groups. Yes, I'm what BP insists on pigeon-holing as a "Boomer", as I was born in 1950. Recently in the UK, an inoffensive 82-yr old was attacked and basically kicked to his demise by a gang (4 or 5 in number) of 12 & 14 yr olds. Am I to call all those in that age group 'feral thugs'?
tee-lena 2 months ago
If they're acting like feral thugs then yes. Act in behavior like an entitled boomer and you get called an entitled boomer. If it doesn't describe you then it's not talking about you
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Happy_Pandalover 2 months ago (edited)
First off: Boomer is a name for a certain age group. No need to bash a complete age group 😵. Imagine bashing a certain country of origin if the couple were spanish (just an example). That would be nothing less than racism. Other than that the woman and her husband are idiots.
Winnie the Moo 2 months ago
The flight attendant should have kicked them BOTH of the plane. How can you let the mother and the daughter feel this uncomfortable a whole flight long. They were called names and flipped the bird. Come on!
BrownEyedPanda 2 months ago
Right! A word with the captain, and those two entitled jackàsses would have been escorted off the plane by security.
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Severus S 2 months ago
I agree with her they acted out of order but to lump every "BOOMER" like this is disgusting and ageist, My parents would never act like this and I also know people my age and younger that would, its not an age thing its a narcissist thing.. So can we please stop assuming all people with millions of personalities all act a certain way just because of their age?
BirdMom 2 months ago
I call B.S.. This story sounds completely made up. If they really sweared and carried on like she said they did, they would have been in trouble. I don't believe that behavior would be tolerated. And the childless cat lady comment? Don't believe it. This is made up boomer bashing.
Susan Bell 2 months ago
I call bs. This story sounds made up; the childless cat lady expression has not been in the lexicon ling enough, esp for a boomer, and it is ageist. Plenty of young people also behave as though they are entitled.
_-DungeonKeeper-_ 2 months ago
Why is it that we all associate the term boomer with a bad person now?
Ariom Dahl 2 months ago
I'm a 'boomer'. Please don't lump us all together for the rudeness of some.
Caring Panda 2 months ago
They are adults, she is travelling with a child. As if the mother is going to separate and let them sit with her child. Why didn't they ask the adult sitting with the wife if they would like to move. And were they really Boomers?
Ruth Watry 2 months ago
Time to ask entitle boomer for the cost of the seat, as well as an additional $500 for abandoning your daughter - and you want it in cash
R Kiefer 2 months ago
I had a lady ask to trade seats with me so she could sit with her husband. Since I'm a nice person and it was an equivalent seat and she asked very, very politely, I said 'yes'. The flight attendant yelled at me! Told me I should not have switched seats without asking him first. Some days, you just can't win.
Hakitosama 2 months ago
Typical tactic: let's book a cheap seat and bully someone out of a paid expensive one.
Katharina Sei. 2 months ago
This is not a matter of generation but a matter of behavior. I recently had a couple of gen Z on the subway who behaved quite disgustingly. (Spitting around, spilling soft drinks on the floor and seats and listening to loud tick tocks).
Mad McQueen 2 months ago
Don't lay this on the "boomers" ok? This is just a*****e passengers that are cheap and don't want to pay for what they have to to sit together. That's all it is. Young or old people can be a******s so just keep your ticket handy and point out what you paid for. Simple. As. That.
Wheeskers 2 months ago
Y'know, that just ticks me the heck off. The problem had nothing to do with age. The couple was being rude but they could have been any age and been a total pig. I'm sitting here in my bloomers steaming, because some chick somewhere decided to stick all "Boomers" in some half class zone. I'm the nicest person I know until you get in my craw.
Ellen brothers 2 months ago
Even though you are quoting an excerpt, the headline should not have incorrect grammar. It looks so unprofessional.
Ally Joy 2 months ago
Boomer here, plus your resident childless cat lady reporting for duty. Quick PSA: Not all of us belong in the MAGA basket of deplorables, okay? I’m a card-carrying independent (we’re like unicorns but with stronger opinions) who votes Democrat—mainly because I can’t handle the self-righteous clowns who think airplane travel is their personal stage for the “Drama Queen Olympics.” You know, the “it’s all about me, someone call security, I’ve had one too many airport margaritas” entitlement parade. And yes, Karen, I’m looking at you.
Pieter LeGrande 2 months ago
I'd have made a very big deal of asking why the hubby was so keen to sit next to your young daughter. Strong insinuations of being a pervert would have been made.
Lorrie Crabtree 3 weeks ago
Yeah, this has nothing to do with being a Boomer. It has everything to do with being an entitled a$$. I'm a Boomer, and I would -never- behave like that. If I saw someone behaving like that toward a woman and her -child-, you can bet I'd step in and put them in their place. Because... I can. Since I'm not a flight attendant, or involved with the airline in any manner, I can say exactly what's on everyone's mind.
Alex Kilbey 3 weeks ago
I am, officially, a late baby-boomer. I would never act like this couple and would defend the woman and child, to the hilt, against such actions. Please stop this ageist reporting, it is not a generation thing it is just two rude, entitled people.
Elizabeth Deighton 3 weeks ago
As a boomer, think that couples behaviour is completely inexcusable. You did the right thing. Some of my generation are so entitled
Lynda Murray 4 weeks ago (edited)
I was totally for the OP till the last sentence. Entitled a holes come with every generation. The generalisation is appalling. The passenger was right to keep her seat, the couple were wholly in the wrong but that doesn’t mean all of their age group are the same. I read about plenty of young parents who haven’t booked seats together trying to get others to swap seats so they can be together. And it is ‘defuse’ , not ‘diffuse’ . As in in de fusing an explosive, To diffuse is to spread out
Morngaur of Gorgoroth 2 months ago
Enough with the boomer-bashing. I'm a boomer, and I've never done anything like this in my life. These people were pr1cks. It's that simple. And that knows no age group. If I'd have been sitting across the aisle from the husband when he refused to move for the little girl, I'd have hauled his a$$ out of the seat and held him pinned to the deck. If I were questioned by any of the flight crew for my behavior, I would say that I'm making a citizen's arrest, as false imprisonment of the child was a crime.
Kelly Pankau 2 months ago
I've read enough of these to know it's not just a boomer thing. Sometimes it's a younger parent who is separated from his/her child, who might even be a teen. If you don't plan ahead, you can ask someone to switch, but shouldn't demand it.
Your Mom 2 months ago
Stop calling people boomer and blaming their age for their bad manners. You don't call people b.ck, j.w, fat or stupid. Calling someone a boomer is the same thing. People are good and bad, regardless of their age and other attributions. When I read "a boomer did this or that", I feel the same when people used to say a bl.ck person did this or that, or a j.wish person did this or that. Stop being prejudiced. When you think someone is a boomer you hate them before they did anything. This atmosphere makes people worse. Exactly the same thing, when you hate people of color, or certain religion, etc.
Jeanette Means 2 months ago
While the rude couple was way out of line and should have been thrown off of the plane, I take offense at the stereotyping taking place in this post. Bad behavior isn't just limited to a particular generation! You will find thoughtless, entitled people from spoiled children to entitled octogenarians who will misbehave on a flight!
Juanita Sullivan 2 months ago
I'm with the OP on this totally. BUT, I have to say, I'm a Boomer and would never act or speak like this! I know many other Boomers who would not either. So it would be cool if maybe the word senior or something similar would be used for my generation that is so frikken rude like that. I'm also a licensed pilot and that couple would've then removed from the flight.
elfin 2 months ago
The situation was of course rude and horrible. However, the posters who blamed Boomers in general for the behavior of this pair are just as rude and horrible. And bigoted. Lumping a bunch of people together, labelling them, and then implying that they all share the same behavior is the basis of bigotry. And stupid. I have three sibling and am very, very different from two of them.
Cammy Wesson-Cohen 2 months ago
Please don’t label all of us “elders” as jerks or rude, or entitled… There are rude and entitled people of all ages everywhere, which is a shame. The “boomers” who used language like that in front of you and a child or what we used called “poor white trash”
PeakyBlinder 2 months ago
YTA for your last sentence - these to are entitled a******s, but they probably were all their lives as they come in all ages....can we please skip this "boomer bashing", it's getting a bit out of hand lately
JustABored1 2 months ago
This isn't about them being Boomers! They're maga!!! And that's the worst thing anyone can be right now! 🤬🌊🤡
Boopie Dew 2 months ago
This isn't a boomer issue . This is an a@@ hole issue. Airline employees need to handle these matters quickly and regularly so people don't think they can get away with this behavior. I don't understand why airlines don't have more strict guidelines and rules.
Craig Reynolds 2 months ago
Hypocrites much? Imagine calling someone else an entitled (unt because they didn't get their way! Airlines need to start kicking those types off the plane without a refund. BTW, it's not one specific generation that does this. It happens across all age groups.
roddy 2 months ago
I'm tired of the boomer bashing. This has nothing to do with age. Some people are just insufferably rude and entitled. The majority are decent and reasonable people. For some reason, only the rude boomers are getting called out and not the rude younger people. But it's absurd to give the impression that boomers in general are this rude. How many of your grandparents are like this?
Ellie Gillespie 2 months ago
As a person of a certain age i am offended that these rude entitled people are being called boomers. It makes it seem as though all older people are rude, inappropriate jerks. I have met folks like this of every age.
Anita Wagner 2 months ago
I think generalizing negative comments about we boomers, the largest generation/population today, is unfair. I would NEVER behave like the boomer couple. Neither would my friends. There are disruptive a**holes of all ages on airplanes and everywhere else.
Ruth Miranda 2 months ago
I am a Boomer and I would never act like this !! I would have asked to have them removed from flight after speaking like that in front of my child !!
Leigh Bowe-Geddes 2 months ago
There is a lot of prejudice against Boomers and conservatives on this thread, which is irrational and unfair. Yes, that was the age range of the perpetrators in this story, but that is not universally the case. I fly several times a month, and see bad behavior from adults of all ages. I do think the time has come for the airlines to eject passengers who are verbally abusive to other passengers. This couple was way out of line. And I am often separated from my husband during flights with our family when we vacation. I would not take the trouble to ask someone to switch seats with me. Good grief! It's a 1-2 hour flight most times, but even if it were a long flight, I won't have a meltdown if I am not sitting next to my husband. We shall be together after we deplane. How dependent are these alleged adults? Sit down in your assigned seat, read your book or watch a movie, and relax. Society needs to return to the days of being pleasant and kind to others.
Joan CR 2 months ago
I am a boomer, but am as angry as the young woman with a child. I have never, nor will I ever, try to take someone's seat. I always book my seats, even if I have to pay for them. My husband I and book our seats together. I am the aggressive one if someone tries to intimidate me.
Stephanie LaChapelle 2 months ago
I'm a boomer. I would never, in a million years, behave the way that woman behaved. I think she was a complete a*****e. I also think YOU are a complete a*****e for lumping us all together. I'm not entitled, I am liberal, and this whole "boomer" thing really pisses me off, as I do not make assumptions about any generation.
Anna Drever 2 months ago
I’m a boomer and I would NOT behave like that. Stop forking blaming bad behaviour on my age group. There’s a-holes in EVERY generation.
Jane E. Waterson 2 months ago
Entitlement has no age, sex, size, color, or political affiliation. Saying all Boomers are entitled MAGAs reflects the writer’s intelligence, or lack thereof.
Nan Grenier 2 months ago
The "Boomers" were horribly rude and wrong! I however am a "boomer" (I hate that designation) and would never do such a thing. I don't appreciate the bigotry against our age group.
Vinnie Marchese 2 months ago
Just bad behaviour. You can't paint an entire generation just because of the bad behaviour of some. I'm appalled by the entitlement, though which has nothing to do with age. I'm a boomer and I was taught to be polite and to pay my own way...always! They should have been thrown off the flight...who acts that way in front of kids, anyway?
Kim Millership 2 months ago
I'm really sick & tired of people assuming all Boomers act the same! I am a Boomer and I would never act in such an uncivilized manner, and I also would Never use that language or resort to name-calling at all!
Wendy Holmes 2 months ago
As a boomer, mother of 3, grandma and ex flight attendant No, just no. Go sit down in the seat you paid for.
Mystic Audion 2 months ago
Not all boomers are self important, entitled A.Hs. And those traits are not isolated in the boomer age bracket. There are plenty of narcissistic, entitled, lazy, worthless people in ALL age groups. Same goes for the MAGA group. No age group wants to be stereotyped by the bad behaviors of some... so... please think before you start making grossly generalized statements. Thank you.
Deborah Barron Brown 2 months ago
Just because they are rude and old doesn't make every boomer rude. I would never treat anyone with disrespect. Honestly sounds more like a MAGA. Their dishonesty, entitlement and bullying are off the charts. These people do not know how to be civilized.
Sera 2 months ago
The defensiveness of certain boomers in this comment section is wild. Y'all can't handle the fact that you, personally, are not being centered in a story and feel misrepresented - exactly stereotypical boomer behavior. "Not all boomers" is the full equivalent of "not all men" - sure, some of you are decent people, but this isn't about YOU, Mr. and Mrs. Me Me Me! Minimizing the harm done by your cohorts enables them. Grow up.
Christos Arvanitis 2 months ago
I'm with the OP until she calls the rude husband and wife (MAGA actually given the childless cat lady comment) are entitled idiot boomers. So screw all of them.
LeMurierBonjour 2 months ago
FFS! The behaviour has nothing to do with age or generation. The woman was just a rude, entitled twat. Now, substitute the word boomer for a race or perhaps sexual orientation, then read it back. You will realise that age, race, whatever is not the cause of the behaviour; the cause is that the woman (and her husband) was a douchebag anyway.
Papa 2 months ago
Isn't it funny how some people think bigotry or prejudice against some groups is okay, when they'd lose their ever loving minds if the same things were said about other groups?
Load More Replies... RU Mymudder 2 months ago
What’s with all the boomer bashing on BP lately? I’m a young boomer - born in 61 - and would never do this.
Uncle Schmickle 2 months ago
This is just dreadful behaviour, NOT usually associated with boomers. I'm a boomer ( from Australia ) and was strongly taught to be polite and respectful to all.
Pieter LeGrande 2 months ago
Nothing to do with 'boomerism' - just plain old self-entitlement.
Load More Replies... Limey 2 months ago
STOP THIS BOOMER NONSENSE. this kind of thing has nothing to do with age or generation. I have said before and will keep saying, it would be totally unacceptable to post this if you replaced “boomer” with a race, ethnicity or religion, more so if you used a derogatory term (and you all know what I mean). As a “boomer” who was taught to be polite and respectful, and one who still had plenty of life left to go, this is hurtful. Please stop this prejudicial cr*p.
nottheactualphoto 2 months ago
Hear hear! This fecal matter has to stop. But of course, it won't.
Load More Replies... Panda McPandaface 2 months ago
I honestly do not think that this is typical 'boomer' behaviour. I am in the UK and *just* - 1963 - a 'boomer'. We were taught manners and good behaviour (on the most part). There are rude and entitled c*mts of any age. They all need to be told when enough is more than enough.
KathyT 2 months ago
Why all of the sudden Boomer bashing? I'm a Boomer and I don't do any of the behaviors that are being attributed to my age cohort. People use these types of terms to dehumanize others, and it's offensive. Get over yourselves. We're all just human beings with individual attributes, negative and positive.
John Harrison 2 months ago (edited)
Victimized woman. Check. Misbehaving boomer. Check. Missing: Bratty child, entitled mother-in-law, lazy husband, doctor that won't empathize, demanding boss. (Edit: C**p rage-bait content ... check. Robyn Smith is really giving Andréa Oldereide a run for her money)
Bec 2 months ago
Yeah, seems like rage bait bs. I am dubious, because how does this continue to happen when we all pick and pay through the nose for our seats, she's not going to leave her 12 years old sitting with strangers, and people are thrown off flights for far less, there are usually 5-6 people either overbooked or on standby and the airline would gladly get rid of an unruly passenger and still get paid for the seats
Load More Replies... AnnaB 2 months ago
First of all, I think half these airplane seat stories are made up, but if this one happens to be legit, it has nothing to do with age. It has to do with an entitled, nasty person who has probably been this way her entire life. Not everything has to do with being a 'boomer'. Some people are just naturally rotten.
Mark Savoie 2 months ago
These are horrible people. Then again, referring to a class of people based on the actions of one couple may be a sign that you yourself are a REDACTED DOUBLE-REDACTED.
StumblingThroughLife 2 months ago
What's with the stereotyping? I'm uncertain what age group they're talking about, but maaan, in general, humans can be horrible, & it has nothing to do with age or sex. I bet everyone has seen entitlement and bad behaviour in all ages of peeps.
Edward Treen 2 months ago
Entitled nasty twats can be found in ALL age groups. Yes, I'm what BP insists on pigeon-holing as a "Boomer", as I was born in 1950. Recently in the UK, an inoffensive 82-yr old was attacked and basically kicked to his demise by a gang (4 or 5 in number) of 12 & 14 yr olds. Am I to call all those in that age group 'feral thugs'?
tee-lena 2 months ago
If they're acting like feral thugs then yes. Act in behavior like an entitled boomer and you get called an entitled boomer. If it doesn't describe you then it's not talking about you
Load More Replies... Happy_Pandalover 2 months ago (edited)
First off: Boomer is a name for a certain age group. No need to bash a complete age group 😵. Imagine bashing a certain country of origin if the couple were spanish (just an example). That would be nothing less than racism. Other than that the woman and her husband are idiots.
Winnie the Moo 2 months ago
The flight attendant should have kicked them BOTH of the plane. How can you let the mother and the daughter feel this uncomfortable a whole flight long. They were called names and flipped the bird. Come on!
BrownEyedPanda 2 months ago
Right! A word with the captain, and those two entitled jackàsses would have been escorted off the plane by security.
Load More Replies... Severus S 2 months ago
I agree with her they acted out of order but to lump every "BOOMER" like this is disgusting and ageist, My parents would never act like this and I also know people my age and younger that would, its not an age thing its a narcissist thing.. So can we please stop assuming all people with millions of personalities all act a certain way just because of their age?
BirdMom 2 months ago
I call B.S.. This story sounds completely made up. If they really sweared and carried on like she said they did, they would have been in trouble. I don't believe that behavior would be tolerated. And the childless cat lady comment? Don't believe it. This is made up boomer bashing.
Susan Bell 2 months ago
I call bs. This story sounds made up; the childless cat lady expression has not been in the lexicon ling enough, esp for a boomer, and it is ageist. Plenty of young people also behave as though they are entitled.
_-DungeonKeeper-_ 2 months ago
Why is it that we all associate the term boomer with a bad person now?
Ariom Dahl 2 months ago
I'm a 'boomer'. Please don't lump us all together for the rudeness of some.
Caring Panda 2 months ago
They are adults, she is travelling with a child. As if the mother is going to separate and let them sit with her child. Why didn't they ask the adult sitting with the wife if they would like to move. And were they really Boomers?
Ruth Watry 2 months ago
Time to ask entitle boomer for the cost of the seat, as well as an additional $500 for abandoning your daughter - and you want it in cash
R Kiefer 2 months ago
I had a lady ask to trade seats with me so she could sit with her husband. Since I'm a nice person and it was an equivalent seat and she asked very, very politely, I said 'yes'. The flight attendant yelled at me! Told me I should not have switched seats without asking him first. Some days, you just can't win.
Hakitosama 2 months ago
Typical tactic: let's book a cheap seat and bully someone out of a paid expensive one.
Katharina Sei. 2 months ago
This is not a matter of generation but a matter of behavior. I recently had a couple of gen Z on the subway who behaved quite disgustingly. (Spitting around, spilling soft drinks on the floor and seats and listening to loud tick tocks).
Mad McQueen 2 months ago
Don't lay this on the "boomers" ok? This is just a*****e passengers that are cheap and don't want to pay for what they have to to sit together. That's all it is. Young or old people can be a******s so just keep your ticket handy and point out what you paid for. Simple. As. That.
Wheeskers 2 months ago
Y'know, that just ticks me the heck off. The problem had nothing to do with age. The couple was being rude but they could have been any age and been a total pig. I'm sitting here in my bloomers steaming, because some chick somewhere decided to stick all "Boomers" in some half class zone. I'm the nicest person I know until you get in my craw.
Ellen brothers 2 months ago
Even though you are quoting an excerpt, the headline should not have incorrect grammar. It looks so unprofessional.
Ally Joy 2 months ago
Boomer here, plus your resident childless cat lady reporting for duty. Quick PSA: Not all of us belong in the MAGA basket of deplorables, okay? I’m a card-carrying independent (we’re like unicorns but with stronger opinions) who votes Democrat—mainly because I can’t handle the self-righteous clowns who think airplane travel is their personal stage for the “Drama Queen Olympics.” You know, the “it’s all about me, someone call security, I’ve had one too many airport margaritas” entitlement parade. And yes, Karen, I’m looking at you.
Pieter LeGrande 2 months ago
I'd have made a very big deal of asking why the hubby was so keen to sit next to your young daughter. Strong insinuations of being a pervert would have been made.
Lorrie Crabtree 3 weeks ago
Yeah, this has nothing to do with being a Boomer. It has everything to do with being an entitled a$$. I'm a Boomer, and I would -never- behave like that. If I saw someone behaving like that toward a woman and her -child-, you can bet I'd step in and put them in their place. Because... I can. Since I'm not a flight attendant, or involved with the airline in any manner, I can say exactly what's on everyone's mind.
Alex Kilbey 3 weeks ago
I am, officially, a late baby-boomer. I would never act like this couple and would defend the woman and child, to the hilt, against such actions. Please stop this ageist reporting, it is not a generation thing it is just two rude, entitled people.
Elizabeth Deighton 3 weeks ago
As a boomer, think that couples behaviour is completely inexcusable. You did the right thing. Some of my generation are so entitled
Lynda Murray 4 weeks ago (edited)
I was totally for the OP till the last sentence. Entitled a holes come with every generation. The generalisation is appalling. The passenger was right to keep her seat, the couple were wholly in the wrong but that doesn’t mean all of their age group are the same. I read about plenty of young parents who haven’t booked seats together trying to get others to swap seats so they can be together. And it is ‘defuse’ , not ‘diffuse’ . As in in de fusing an explosive, To diffuse is to spread out
Morngaur of Gorgoroth 2 months ago
Enough with the boomer-bashing. I'm a boomer, and I've never done anything like this in my life. These people were pr1cks. It's that simple. And that knows no age group. If I'd have been sitting across the aisle from the husband when he refused to move for the little girl, I'd have hauled his a$$ out of the seat and held him pinned to the deck. If I were questioned by any of the flight crew for my behavior, I would say that I'm making a citizen's arrest, as false imprisonment of the child was a crime.
Kelly Pankau 2 months ago
I've read enough of these to know it's not just a boomer thing. Sometimes it's a younger parent who is separated from his/her child, who might even be a teen. If you don't plan ahead, you can ask someone to switch, but shouldn't demand it.
Your Mom 2 months ago
Stop calling people boomer and blaming their age for their bad manners. You don't call people b.ck, j.w, fat or stupid. Calling someone a boomer is the same thing. People are good and bad, regardless of their age and other attributions. When I read "a boomer did this or that", I feel the same when people used to say a bl.ck person did this or that, or a j.wish person did this or that. Stop being prejudiced. When you think someone is a boomer you hate them before they did anything. This atmosphere makes people worse. Exactly the same thing, when you hate people of color, or certain religion, etc.
Jeanette Means 2 months ago
While the rude couple was way out of line and should have been thrown off of the plane, I take offense at the stereotyping taking place in this post. Bad behavior isn't just limited to a particular generation! You will find thoughtless, entitled people from spoiled children to entitled octogenarians who will misbehave on a flight!
Juanita Sullivan 2 months ago
I'm with the OP on this totally. BUT, I have to say, I'm a Boomer and would never act or speak like this! I know many other Boomers who would not either. So it would be cool if maybe the word senior or something similar would be used for my generation that is so frikken rude like that. I'm also a licensed pilot and that couple would've then removed from the flight.
elfin 2 months ago
The situation was of course rude and horrible. However, the posters who blamed Boomers in general for the behavior of this pair are just as rude and horrible. And bigoted. Lumping a bunch of people together, labelling them, and then implying that they all share the same behavior is the basis of bigotry. And stupid. I have three sibling and am very, very different from two of them.
Cammy Wesson-Cohen 2 months ago
Please don’t label all of us “elders” as jerks or rude, or entitled… There are rude and entitled people of all ages everywhere, which is a shame. The “boomers” who used language like that in front of you and a child or what we used called “poor white trash”
PeakyBlinder 2 months ago
YTA for your last sentence - these to are entitled a******s, but they probably were all their lives as they come in all ages....can we please skip this "boomer bashing", it's getting a bit out of hand lately
JustABored1 2 months ago
This isn't about them being Boomers! They're maga!!! And that's the worst thing anyone can be right now! 🤬🌊🤡
Boopie Dew 2 months ago
This isn't a boomer issue . This is an a@@ hole issue. Airline employees need to handle these matters quickly and regularly so people don't think they can get away with this behavior. I don't understand why airlines don't have more strict guidelines and rules.
Craig Reynolds 2 months ago
Hypocrites much? Imagine calling someone else an entitled (unt because they didn't get their way! Airlines need to start kicking those types off the plane without a refund. BTW, it's not one specific generation that does this. It happens across all age groups.
roddy 2 months ago
I'm tired of the boomer bashing. This has nothing to do with age. Some people are just insufferably rude and entitled. The majority are decent and reasonable people. For some reason, only the rude boomers are getting called out and not the rude younger people. But it's absurd to give the impression that boomers in general are this rude. How many of your grandparents are like this?
Ellie Gillespie 2 months ago
As a person of a certain age i am offended that these rude entitled people are being called boomers. It makes it seem as though all older people are rude, inappropriate jerks. I have met folks like this of every age.
Anita Wagner 2 months ago
I think generalizing negative comments about we boomers, the largest generation/population today, is unfair. I would NEVER behave like the boomer couple. Neither would my friends. There are disruptive a**holes of all ages on airplanes and everywhere else.
Ruth Miranda 2 months ago
I am a Boomer and I would never act like this !! I would have asked to have them removed from flight after speaking like that in front of my child !!
Leigh Bowe-Geddes 2 months ago
There is a lot of prejudice against Boomers and conservatives on this thread, which is irrational and unfair. Yes, that was the age range of the perpetrators in this story, but that is not universally the case. I fly several times a month, and see bad behavior from adults of all ages. I do think the time has come for the airlines to eject passengers who are verbally abusive to other passengers. This couple was way out of line. And I am often separated from my husband during flights with our family when we vacation. I would not take the trouble to ask someone to switch seats with me. Good grief! It's a 1-2 hour flight most times, but even if it were a long flight, I won't have a meltdown if I am not sitting next to my husband. We shall be together after we deplane. How dependent are these alleged adults? Sit down in your assigned seat, read your book or watch a movie, and relax. Society needs to return to the days of being pleasant and kind to others.
Joan CR 2 months ago
I am a boomer, but am as angry as the young woman with a child. I have never, nor will I ever, try to take someone's seat. I always book my seats, even if I have to pay for them. My husband I and book our seats together. I am the aggressive one if someone tries to intimidate me.
Stephanie LaChapelle 2 months ago
I'm a boomer. I would never, in a million years, behave the way that woman behaved. I think she was a complete a*****e. I also think YOU are a complete a*****e for lumping us all together. I'm not entitled, I am liberal, and this whole "boomer" thing really pisses me off, as I do not make assumptions about any generation.
Anna Drever 2 months ago
I’m a boomer and I would NOT behave like that. Stop forking blaming bad behaviour on my age group. There’s a-holes in EVERY generation.
Jane E. Waterson 2 months ago
Entitlement has no age, sex, size, color, or political affiliation. Saying all Boomers are entitled MAGAs reflects the writer’s intelligence, or lack thereof.
Nan Grenier 2 months ago
The "Boomers" were horribly rude and wrong! I however am a "boomer" (I hate that designation) and would never do such a thing. I don't appreciate the bigotry against our age group.
Vinnie Marchese 2 months ago
Just bad behaviour. You can't paint an entire generation just because of the bad behaviour of some. I'm appalled by the entitlement, though which has nothing to do with age. I'm a boomer and I was taught to be polite and to pay my own way...always! They should have been thrown off the flight...who acts that way in front of kids, anyway?
Kim Millership 2 months ago
I'm really sick & tired of people assuming all Boomers act the same! I am a Boomer and I would never act in such an uncivilized manner, and I also would Never use that language or resort to name-calling at all!
Wendy Holmes 2 months ago
As a boomer, mother of 3, grandma and ex flight attendant No, just no. Go sit down in the seat you paid for.
Mystic Audion 2 months ago
Not all boomers are self important, entitled A.Hs. And those traits are not isolated in the boomer age bracket. There are plenty of narcissistic, entitled, lazy, worthless people in ALL age groups. Same goes for the MAGA group. No age group wants to be stereotyped by the bad behaviors of some... so... please think before you start making grossly generalized statements. Thank you.
Deborah Barron Brown 2 months ago
Just because they are rude and old doesn't make every boomer rude. I would never treat anyone with disrespect. Honestly sounds more like a MAGA. Their dishonesty, entitlement and bullying are off the charts. These people do not know how to be civilized.
Sera 2 months ago
The defensiveness of certain boomers in this comment section is wild. Y'all can't handle the fact that you, personally, are not being centered in a story and feel misrepresented - exactly stereotypical boomer behavior. "Not all boomers" is the full equivalent of "not all men" - sure, some of you are decent people, but this isn't about YOU, Mr. and Mrs. Me Me Me! Minimizing the harm done by your cohorts enables them. Grow up.
Christos Arvanitis 2 months ago
I'm with the OP until she calls the rude husband and wife (MAGA actually given the childless cat lady comment) are entitled idiot boomers. So screw all of them.
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