Some people rely on the kindness of strangers to get what they want, even if it’s something that requires minimal effort to attain. A desired seat on a plane, for instance. They would rather ask someone to switch them than take the time to reserve one themselves.

A TikToker from New York, Surya Garg, received such a request on her recent flight. A woman asked her to give up a window seat so she could sit with her son. The content creator refused politely and had to listen to the mother’s grumbling for the rest of the flight. Her story quickly went viral, attracting over a million views and a commotion in the comment section.

Image credits: surya_garg

Recently Surya had the experience of sitting with the “worst person” on the plane

“So I feel like this has been a big debate recently – if you’re sitting in a seat and someone with a family comes up to you and says, “Hey, will you switch?”, do you switch or not?
My philosophy is like, if it’s a mom and a dad or like a mom and little kids, even though it’s annoying, and you’d hope they would have planned better, obviously, I’m gonna give up my seat, you have little children.
Like, it’s not a big deal. I remember people giving up their seats for me and my brother when I was younger, so we could be next to our parents, I get it. I’ll definitely hesitate more from giving up a window or an aisle seat for a middle, like that will make me think, but normally, people don’t ask you to do that.”

Image credits: surya_garg

A mom asked her to switch seats with her son, the sight of whom surprised the traveler

“Tonight, I not only got asked to give up my window seat so that I could sit in a middle seat, but the “family” that asked me to do this was a mother and her son. Her son had to be a minimum of like, 16 or 17 years old.
This man was 6″4′, talking on the phone to his girlfriend the entire time we were boarding, this was not a child. This was her kid, but like, he’s an adult.
And so I’m already settled, I’m sitting at my window, they’re the last to board, whatever. He’s just sitting there, gabbing on his phone, barely paying attention. His mom says to me “Would you mind switching? So I could like sit with my son?”
And I’m like, “yeah, where would you want me to switch to?” She points to a middle seat a couple of like rows back.”

Image credits: surya_garg

The woman refused to give up her window seat

“I’m in a window seat, I was like, “okay, who’s your son?” And then she points to this 6″4′ man and I don’t really know what to say, because I don’t want to and I don’t really think she like deserves it, because this is definitely just a case of bad planning.
I don’t want to look like an a-hole but I don’t think I’m an a-hole in this situation. So I said “no, I’m sorry, I paid extra for the seat, I think I’m just gonna sit in the seat I paid for”.
This woman makes the nastiest face at me I’ve ever experienced, sits down next to me in the middle seat, like she was assigned to, her son goes back to the middle seat that he’s assigned to in the back.
And then I kid you not, under her breath for the entirety of the flight, she’s just muttering profanities at me. Like was I in the wrong here, I need someone to tell me.”

Image credits: Skitterphoto (not the actual photo)

Surya discussed the situation in a video that went viral

@surya_garg for real like was I wrong #nyc #airplane #airplaneseats ♬ original sound – Surya Garg

Asking to switch seats is not the main problem here; there’s no harm in taking your shot. It’s the woman’s reaction that suggests she felt Surya was in the wrong, which exposes a slight sense of entitlement. As we’ve seen from the video, such a feeling can cause arguments or trouble in the simplest of social situations. No one likes a smug person, yet surprisingly, it is believed that most of us feel morally superior to others.

Self-righteousness might not be the only quality that leads people to cause similar situations. They might also be plain cheap. Unwillingness to pay for a certain product or service makes them come up with different solutions to their problems. When it comes to traveling, avoiding paying for one’s seat falls right into the same category as not wanting to pay for additional luggage, for example. And trying to carry it either way, stating that you’re somehow right.

When this type of person confronts you, it is important to know when to stand your ground. Possibly affected by self-enhancement bias, they might not even realize that their actions or claims are illogical. In the OP’s situation, it seems that the lady had no right to pout as it was her responsibility to reserve adjacent seats. She did, nevertheless. At times, trying to prove such people wrong is as effective as running in circles, but that doesn’t mean others should give in to their demands.

Surya stood her ground and did so in a polite manner. In an ideal world, situations like this should be handled with mutual respect—contrary to certain people’s beliefs, others are worth it as much as they are. That is why, even if such people are not ready to hop off of their high horse yet, they should at least refrain from mumbling profanities at the person nearby.

The video received lots of comments, mostly in favor of the woman in her seat

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