Tarot reading is legal in Tennessee, as it is considered a form of entertainment and personal guidance. However, fortune-telling is not regulated under the same laws as psychology or counseling. In some states, there are laws against fortunetelling, Tarot card reading, and other divinatory practices to protect residents from being swindled by con artists. In Knoxville, it is illegal to advertise fortunetelling and requires psychics to obtain occupational licenses to charge anyone for their services.
Tarot card reading has been around for centuries, but some tarot readers are discovering that their practice is illegal. Many cities and counties require both a business license and a fortune teller’s license. Beth Daly, owner of Curiosity Corner in Dickson, was notified that she could not continue to conduct tarot readings at her store.
In 2008, she was informed by the city of East Ridge that she was in violation of a local ordinance which prohibits anyone from fortune-telling. The City Council in Norfolk, Va., repealed a 45-year-old ban on “the practice of palmistry, palm reading, phrenology or clairvoyance, for monetary or other purposes”. Federal District Court Judge Robert Echols recently struck down a local ban on fortune-telling in a challenge brought by the American Civil Liberties Union.
The type of license required to charge people to read tarot cards online may vary depending on the location of the business and the specific state. Overall, while tarot reading is legal in Tennessee, it is important to be aware of local regulations and licensing requirements.
📹 Woman goes viral after for refusing to switch seats with fellow mom on flight | GMA
Tammy Nelson, a mom of 3, tells the story of why refused to give up her window seat for a middle seat for another mom to sit next …
📹 Girl visits the doctor he calls the cops after seeing the ultrasound
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I was once asked by a guy to swap my prepaid aisle seat with a middle seat so he could sit with his girlfriend. I said “sure…for fifty bucks” which is about what I paid for the pre-selection. He said that was ridiculous and after a little back and forth he called me a sucker for paying it. I just said I’m the sucker sitting next to your girlfriend and you’re the guy who just confirmed it’s not worth fifty bucks.
I had someone sitting in my seat and asked him to move. He said he didn’t want to sit in his assigned seat. I didn’t argue with him and instead went to one of the flight attendants and she took care of it. The audacity and entitlement of people who just sit in someone else’s seat before asking if it’s okay is beyond me!!
I’m so sick of entitled people that purchase the cheapest airfare and then expect the rest of us to “accommodate” them because they are to cheap to pay to sit together. And, then, to have the nerve to want someone to give up their window seat for a middle seat just shows how entitled she is. Kudos to you for not giving in
A man did this to me years ago. I was on a work trip and had booked a window seat, got to my seat and man was sitting there. I politely told him that he was in my seat, and he said “well you can sit in mine”, which was the middle seat in the next aisle. I again, politely told him that I didn’t want his middle seat, I wanted my window seat. He ignored me, and probably thought I would cave since I was a young 23yr old and he was a grown man. Nope, my parents didn’t raise me without a backbone, I clearly and loudly told him that I would go get the flight attendant so that she could assist him to his assigned seat. He huffed and puffed, called me B, but got out of my seat. People have some nerve.
My husband and I were once assigned seats apart. We asked the man who was assigned the seat next to me if he would consider taking a window seat and we offered to buy him a drink. He did not take our payment and gladly switched seats. He did not have to do this, we were thankful, and we did not expect or assume he would say yes. We sat in our assigned seats and then asked if he was willing. Had he said no we would have been a bit disappointed but no hard feelings.
That happened to me both ways on my last vacation. It’s infuriating that these people assume everyone is okay switching with them just because they didn’t buy their ticket early enough to get the seat they wanted. You paid for and picked the seat you wanted. Don’t let anyone guilt you into changing if you don’t want to. Good job standing up for yourself!!
I had booked my flight 9 months in advance AND paid the extra fee for upgraded seat. When I got to my seat upon boarding a woman was sitting in my aisle seat. She refused to move. I asked for the flight attendant, and guess what? The flight attendant said to me, there is an aisle seat in the back row (next to the restrooms), could you accommodate this woman? I stood my ground, but both the flight attendant and the woman rolled their eyes at me, with the woman saying “You have a problem, I feel sorry for you!” I post this because you cannot depend on the flight attendants to help you obtain the seat you paid for. By the way, I had paid the big bucks for row 6, aisle seat.
I was flying american years back and a lady asked me to switch seats so she could sit next to her daughter I said as long as its an aisle she said of course and pointed to seat directly in front of mine, I got up switched and then another person came up to the seat and said its theirs the woman had of course lied and hers was the middle seat (5.5 hrs from lax to mco) amazingly a flight attendant had watched the whole episode and promptly marched me up to first class!!!!!!!! Win win
This happened to me a few years ago. I got upgraded to business with a window seat with no one next to me and I was so looking forward to finally get a good rest when a guy stood up and asked me if I could swap seats with him and let him and his boyfriend seat the both of them as they were seated a few rows behind in separate alley seats. I also really enjoy travelling on a window seat and I said no to their alley seats. The guy got really angry with me and called me a sour bitch! I am glad I kept my seat!!!
I had a very different experience, taking my aisle seat, and finding myself sitting next to a five -year-old in the middle seat, with her mother in the aisle seat directly behind. The mother apologized for not having her daughter next to her and hoped the child would be no trouble to me! The little girl turned out to be a well-behaved, delightful seat-mate. It was a pleasure to meet a confident, happy child and the mother who was raising her.
No is a complete sentence and you are not a bad guy if you say it. As a mom I recognize that my poor planning is not someone else’s problem. It’s not anyone else’s job to accommodate my family. This is why you pay the extra money to choose your seats in advance. Also, for those people that are asking others to switch seats with you… act like adults and accept their no’s with grace. They are under no obligation to give you anything just because you have children or simply because you have asked. Parents (mothers especially) are not special and aren’t entitled to special privileges as if we are some divine creatures.
The same happened to me once, but it was the bulkhead seat, which had cost me extra to book. I’m 6ft/1m83, it was in Economy and it was from Atlanta to Frankfurt and she wanted me to sit in a middle seat two rows back. It took the cabin crew threatening her with being kicked off the plane to get my seat. The daughter was so embarrassed and we had a lovely chat on the flight!
I had not flown very often, and when my husband and I decided to go to Hawaii for our honeymoon, I booked the tickets. The plane from LA to Hawaii had us separated by the aisle, but we were both on the aisle seats, and were perfectly content to see and talk to each other on the way there. The lovely man seated next to my husband in a window seat found out we were newlyweds and said he would gladly change seats with me so that I could sit with my husband. I told him, oh no, you have a great window seat, that’s fine. He insisted and I changed with him. I’ve never forgotten his kindness. We never once thought about even asking him to change seats with me, sitting an aisle apart we were fine! It isn’t the end of the world, lol. This man was so very kind to us.
I actually said no in this situation before. My parents had purchased me the ticket to visit them for Christmas, and knowing my mobility issues and the pain and discomfort I would experience on the flight booked my ticket early and paid extra to book an aisle seat closest to the front as possible. I had a woman ask me to switch with her middle seat so she could sit with her daughter. My first instinct was to say yes and then I realized how much more uncomfortable that would make things for me during the flight, and knowing my parents paid extra to try to make the flight less painful for me, I said no. She was furious at me, she told me she had to be able to give her daughter medication throughout the flight and laid it on pretty thick. I was feeling horribly guilty until the daughter got on the plane and my guilt vanished. The daughter was an able bodied adult (over 20). Oh, and the meds that had to be administered was a Gravol pill that simply got passed across the aisle. If you plan ahead and pay for a specific seat, no one should look down on you for keeping it.
I had this exact same thing happen to me with an older woman (mind you, only like early 70s… not too old to walk around and go on vacation to Florida) where she had the audacity to just sit in my seat and then use the same sort of passive-aggressive social pressure situation to try and force me into it. I hate the entitlement of people who are used to getting what they want through malignant manipulation and social pressure, that just makes me more bull-headed and petty on principle. She turned it into a scene by objecting several times and stalling for over a minute, causing the aisle to be blocked during boarding with everyone perusal, and I just said (firmly): “Nope, I paid extra for this window seat, just like you could have done.” End of conversation.
I had this happen at a concert a few years ago. Four couples were trying to sit together and our group of four split them up. The tickets were all the same prices, and they were actually really nice about it with how they asked. Even offered us $100 to change seats. We told them it wasn’t necessary, and they ended up buying us a round of beers anyways. It sounds like the woman in this case handled it very poorly. I commend this lady for standing her ground and not letting her switch seats.
A mom did this to me at a movie and where the seats were assigned. It was me and a friend. She had 4 kids with her and the entire theatre was empty. She wanted OUR seats. She could’ve sat literally anywhere. When I said you’re in our seats she said “oh you want these seats?” “so you want us to move?” YES LADY i want MY seat i painstakingly planned and made sure i could see well with my limited vision and my disability. The world doesn’t revolve around momzillas! She acted all huffy and puffy as they grabbed the smorgasbord of snacks they’d already started unloading in our seats and left trash wrappers in our seats. You know damn well they knew what their assigned tickets said. So selfish.
I read a comment once where a man paid for the front seat for the extra leg room. He was asked by the man next to him if he’d switch seats with his wife, who was several rows back. His reasoning was because his wife had their baby with her and needed the extra room. He said, no, I’m tall & paid for this space. If she needs more room to be comfortable, why haven’t YOU switched seats with her? He didn’t like that answer!😂
As a single woman I am so sick and tired of people expecting me to sacrifice my well being just because I do not have children or a spouse. I am still important, I still matter! Too bad for the Mum, but it wasn’t the ladies responsibility to abide by the moms wishes! She should have planned better for her trip!
I had this happen to me. A mother wanted to sit by her son and wanted me to move back fifteen rows to her seat. I explained I had paid extra for an aisle seat and for my seat near the front and I wasn’t moving. Unfortunately I was given the cold shoulder by the flight attendant,who felt I was wrong. The flight attendant even made a snide remark upon departure from the plane.I had booked the ticket/seat two months in advance so I wasn’t moving.
I got seat scalped 13 years ago and I’m still mad I didn’t stand up for myself. The seat they stole was at the front of the plane, so there was no overhead space left and the airline forced me to check my carry-on bag–and then lost it. I still despise the man who did this to me and wish I’d made him give me my seat back. This woman absolutely did the right thing. She won’t have to be bitter about it more than a decade later like I am!
Had a family do this to me on a 15-hour flight to New Jersey from Mumbai, India. I specifically chose an aisle seat, so I could get up and walk around easy. The two boys, 10-12 age, were in my row, mom was across the aisle from me and dad was in another seat. They thought they were going to displace me to a middle seat in the middle row for 15 hours. Stood my ground and got my seat. People were pissed at me for not letting the family sit together! I booked my ticket two months earlier, jerks should have done a better job booking their own flight.
Years back I flew overseas on a 7 hour flight with my daughter. We could not get seats together. It never occurred to me to ask someone to switch their seat so I could sit with her. It was our problem for booking late. I had the window & she had the aisle in the row behind me & opposite. I told her you’re close by if you need anything. I was surprised when the fellow beside me offered to switch with her. It was a nice gesture & he kept his aisle seat but I never expected him or anyone to switch seats. My thought is when we book late it is our problem. No one should have to sacrifice their seat for our mistakes.
Good for you! I had a similar experience when I had paid extra to sit in the exit row. When I boarded, there was a mom and her young child (IMO too large to sit in her lap) in my seat. When I advised her she was in my seat, she responded by saying she needed the extra space for her kid and with attitude said I could sit somewhere else. I let the flight attendant handle it, who had her move not only because she was in my assigned seat, but her child was too young to be in the exit row. Needless to say she said a few things to me, but mistakingly had me confused with someone who would value her opinion.
The entitlement and bullying mentality reigns supreme in the American culture. Some of us deal with it more frequently than we like. I am glad Ms. Nelson told this story and I hope it resonates with those who try to infringe upon others. Wishing Ms. Nelson many blessings and wonderful future flights.
That happened to me once. A lady didn’t ask she DEMANDED I switch my window seat that I paid for with her middle seat. I laughed and said, “Nope, not going to happen lady! Turns out she didn’t even have a seat In my row! She tried to steal my seat after the guy in her row also said no to her switching demand. She pitched a screaming fit, and the flight attendant told her to leave the plane. This was 25 years ago by the way😂
I have flown international with my kids, one time when they were 13 and 10, we ended up on a very full flight, all 4 of us were in different seats and rows (including husband) . 13 year old was thrilled to be on her own, my 10 year old was equally up for the challenge. We made sure we knew where we were on that plane and went with it. Best flight ever 😂
This happened to my family a few months ago. We were returning from vacation when a woman and her family decided to take our three airplane seats. I calmly explained to her, that they were our seats which we paid for when we purchased our tickets (we always purchase our seats when we purchase our tickets). She and her family refused to move, we had to call the flight attendant who then had to threaten to call security to get the family to move. She did not want her seats which were in the back of the airplane (our seats were in the front). She claimed that her travel agent told her she could sit anywhere on the airplane. She was very angry. Some people believe that they can take whatever they want whenever they want; as if the world revolves around them. I am happy you did not give in to her and you did not have to explain to her why you wanted the seat, you paid for it, so you were entitled to sit there.
As a daughter of a mom who would do this …. Some people are absolutely booking separated seats like this many months in advance to save $ and banking on someone switching seats with them . Literally almost every flight I had with my mom. One time someone refused and I got to sit alone it was so nice lol
Similar thing happened at the theater, I specifically arrived early so I could choose the best seats. A family of 7 comes in when the movie is about to start and they wanted to sit close together, they asked me to switch and I said no. They then get mad because I wouldn’t switch! People these days are too entitled!
When I was a kid I remember sitting in a seat in a bus. An adult male got on and, seeing no empty seats, pointed at me and said “Out!” My dad was sitting next to me and immediately stopped me as I started to get up. He told the guy I had paid for the seat and was going to sit there. He also told the guy that if he had just waited a few seconds I would have got up and offered him the seat (which I would have done – that’s how I was brought up). It was a great life lesson.
This happens all the time. Happened to me twice this year. I also like window seat and book flights in advance. Once a girl asked me to switch because she wanted to be with her friend and she was going to give me the middle seat. The second time, a guy sat on my window seat and try to fight with me. He thought because he boarded the plane before me, he could get any seats on the plane. I’ve seen a few fights about this as well… This is getting out of control.
I had to fly Spirit not long ago and paid to have an assigned seat because I wanted a window for pretty much the same reasons as this traveler. After I settled in my seat, the flight attendant approached me asking if I could switch seats so that a mother could sit with her children. The flight attendant kept saying “oh it’s a mother with her children” trying to guilt me into it. I thought to myself, well, she should have paid for her seats just like I paid for mine. I did change seats then saw that the children were not that young and could have sat alone. I do regret giving up my seat. The mother didn’t even acknowledge me, much less say thanks. Glad this traveler stood up for herself.
This situation happened to me when I had an aisle seat, and a stranger lady asked me to switch. I politely said no because I have an incontinence problem. It was a long international flight, and I didn’t want to constantly climb over people’s seats. I picked the seats months prior to my flight to make sure I had my aisle seat. If a person wants an aisle seat, they should pick it a long time in advance. It’s too bad they don’t get it on that day of the flight. TUFF!
As a seasoned professional traveler who flies 100+ segments a year for my company…there’s absolutely NOTHING controversial about this. Proper planning & paying would’ve assured that mom a seat in the row as her kids. Life isn’t always fair, & that should be a good lesson for her kids. You don’t always get what you want. Good on you for not switching seats. 🙌🏽👍🏽🙌🏽👊🏽
Had that happen to me. My friend and I paid for aisle seats across from each other. Both of us claustrophobic. A family got on and demanded we switch so they could sit together. We declined saying we paid for our seats. It was like the end of the world for them. Such privileged behaviour. And they were last on the plane!
This just happened to me 2 weeks ago. A 12-ish year old boy wouldn’t move when I told him it was my seat and showed him my ticket. He just stonewalled and wouldn’t speak. Just before I looked for an attendant his father (I guess) came and chased him out of the seat. This woman is RIGHT. Don’t be a wuss. Claim your seat!
I really like the way this lady handled herself…she was so polite but stuck to her plan to sit in the window seat she reserved. I hope she had a pleasant flight and rocked her business presentation on arrival. Bravo! As for the lady with the kids, I hope her kids learned how not to act entitled and take whatever you want and to always act polite.
I wouldn’t change seats with anyone, no matter what the circumstances. We all have the ability to pick our seats these days, so it’s your own problem if you don’t get the ones you want. Get a different flight if you want to sit together. I don’t buy into this ‘entitlement’ crap just because you have kids. You decided to have them, you need to take responsibility for them, not expect others to.
The worst thing about this is the mother was sending a message to her kids that it is fine to try and take something that doesn’t belong to you. She is also not giving her children (who are plenty old enough for goodness sake) to rise to the occasion to fend for themselves when she is less than 2 feet away.
This Lady was perfect how she handled it. As an airline employee of over 30 years, we do try to accommodate families together if the seats are available. The mom traveling with her children could have asked the gate agent before boarding or purchased seats together in advance. Being that she was only 1 row behind her kids and they were not special needs…and 15 to 11…years old they are fine to sit where they were assigned. Most kids at that age don’t want to sit with a parent if given a choice….🧐
Happened to me on a 4 hour train ride, where an elderly woman sat in my reserved seat. She wasn’t so elderly or silly that she didn’t know what she was doing, but kept saying “No I bought my seat”. I showed her my ticket and reservation, clearly showing the seat booked for me, to which she just kept saying “But I’ve bought my ticket!” I needed the table space to work which is why I booked it, but I just gave up because I was starting to look like the bad guy for asking an old lady to move. On the way back, some suit tried to do the same thing. In fact, two people tried to sit in my seat with the first one placing his bag on it. The suit, thinking the bag belonged to the guy in the next seat, was telling him to move the stuff so he could sit down. I should my ticket to the suit and this time, was not so nice and told him to go find his own seat NOW. As for the bag on the seat, I shouted to the passengers “Who does this belong to?”, to which some guy about 15 feet away said “Me!” I threw his bag at him and sat down. Nobody bothered me for the rest of the journey 😂 If you want a seat, BOOK A SEAT.
I remember one time flying with my mom and two siblings (4 of us) and a mom was having this issue. I believe she was flying with 2 toddlers and were sitting apart. My mom overheard the flight attendant speaking to the mom and offered our seats (since we were all together). 5 -10 minutos later. They upgraded us to first class, that was very nice gesture from the airline and we were thankful as well.
I had a couple who did the same thing. They boarded the plane with small child first and took my seat. When I got to my seat they insisted I had the isle seat. I showed my ticket and asked them to move and they did. Now If they had been sitting in their assigned seats when I got there and asked me for the window I would have switched. Ticked me off that they were going to take my seat and expect me to just roll over and let them.
Had this happen to me once when I left my things on my seat after boarding and went to use the restroom. When I came back, my things were moved and the person who did it played dumb and said they wanted to sit with their family. I stood my ground and asked for my seat back; lady started arguing with me. It was the sense of entitlement and audacity that prevented her from having my seat. Asking someone politely goes a long way! I would’ve obliged. 😂
Good job. The way she acted is her character 💯. I spend the time, energy, and resources to pick a seat, because it matters. That passive aggressive bullying is the way she lives. Thank you for the post. People need to know that it is okay to take care of yourself, and not allow someone else to shame you for it…AND YOU DID IT WITH CLASS 👸.
This happened to me on a United flight. An overweight woman booked a middle seat, but was sitting in my window seat when I came through the plane. I wouldn’t switch because I have anxiety if I can’t see the ground, and she huffed and puffed like she was entitled to it. She made some drama over it, took a good 3 minutes to remove herself from my seat, then asked a flight attendant to get her off the plane ASAP. I paid a little extra for that seat and booked well in advance!
I’ve had this happen. My husband and I paid $75 each for really long flights to Asia this June. . A couple with 2 kids around ages 7 and 9 got on. They had the 3 seat row with the husband in the middle seat behind. They asked for the aisle seat across and we said no. When you have kids buy your seats. I’ve seen mothers travel alone with kids and manage just fine. They got really upset and were trying make us look and feel bad. Honestly I didn’t. These options are available to everyone. These days you are chancing it if you try getting seating together at the last minute, specially in high season.
Sick of hearing about these “plane seat switching” dramas. If it’s important enough to sit together, then buy your tickets early and pay what’s required. Stop expecting other people to treat you differently because, well, you have children and you deserve their seat. Big effing deal! We’ve all had children.
I had this exact same thing happen to me on a plane last week, except it was three friends in their 20’s that wanted to sit together. I said the same thing- I asked how far back, and if it was a window seat. It was several rows back, in a middle seat- I told them NO! That’s my seat, and I paid for that seat, on top of it! I absolutely would not have switched for a mother and kids, either. NO WAY!!
As a flight attendant and a mom to a toddler. Never give up your seat. Never feel pressured to either. I always try to purchase direct from the airline so I can pick my seats. Some people purposely chose a cheaper seat and just try to ask someone to switch for free on the plane. Never give up your paid seat.
A lady asked me to change seats so she could sit with her daughter. I said yes. Turns out the daughter was 16 years old who could function perfectly well without her mom for 6 hrs while in school. They laughed and giggled for 3 hours while I sat in a non-reclining seat, back of the plane, next to the toilet. That lady killed the chances of me ever falling for that lame ploy ever again.
As someone with two kids I travel with A LOT, I ALWAYS make sure to seat us together. I would never expect someone to give up their window seat for a damn middle seat, or any seat! 🤦🏽♀️ It’s the entitlement for me and let me say, once my kids are teenagers they can sit alone lol I’ll be happy for some peace and quiet!
When you run into this issue, go find a flight attendant and let them sort it out. I never approach the person myself simply because I got tired of such people and their expectations, and then throwing off my whole day or night because of their drama. When you are travelling for work, you are already stressed out because mostly likely, like this lady, you have not had much sleep to begin with and are planning to sleep on the plane.
Thank you for standing your ground. When we set reasonable boundaries with unreasonable people with horrible boundaries we are putting a stop to their absolute BS. When we allow people to behave in a manner that is entitled it just perpetuates this behavior, so thank you. As I often say, some times saying no to others is saying yes to ourselves. Peace.
Happened to me a couple of months ago. My husband and I were sitting on the middle/window seats, that we paid in advance (on the 3rd row even) when a family of three (mom, son and father) arrived. The father was so pissed that they had to split (mother and son sent to the back) and was fully complaining to the stewardess. The stewardess kindly asked us if we were willing to change with them. I firmly said no. I paid in advance for a close to the door seat, a window one, and most importantly, to be seated with my husband. The man was mad again because we wouldn’t change with them, and that they “were a family”. My husband looked at him calmly and said “We are a family too, just because we don’t have kids, gives you the right to take our seats. If you wanted SO BAD to seat with your wife and son, you should have bought the seats in advance. And if you didn’t, because you are cheap, that’s your problem, not ours”. Then we just put on our earphones and hold our hands like nothing was going on. I hate entitled mothers/fathers/families that assume that their group has more rights than others. If you want things to go a certain way, plan ahead, and if you don’t do that, suck it up.
Had a similar issue with a couple who switched to sit together and moved me to an aisle seat and when i told the lady she sat in my seat the husband explained that they want to sit together and the cabin crew looked at me like i was the difficult one and that i should just sit in the other seat. It really pisses me off when people do this.
My sister and I flew alone once (1st time without our mom or older brother being with us). As we boarded (I was 6 my sister 10) my mom spoke with the flight attendant asking if she wouldnt mind looking out for us since we were alone this time. That flight attendant was so sweet and talked to my sister and I, then took me by the hand and lead us on the plane.. she walked us past our seats and into 1st class so we were right next to her! I remember how beautiful she was and she was so so nice♡ she made sure we found our dad when we got off as well. I dont know why but this reminded me of that story
This literally happened to my sister the other day… A woman sat in her seat assuming she’d be fine with switching because she wanted to be next to her boyfriend. My sister, just went to the other seat to avoid confrontation. DO NOT DO THIS ON AN AIRPLANE, traveling is stressful enough! Like the woman in the article said, talk to the gate if you HAVE to be next to someone… otherwise grow tf up and sit where you’ve been assigned. Period.
well this has happened to me quite a few times, I’m 6’4 so I always book a seat with extra leg room which is in the two aisles that are by the emergency exit in the middle of the plane, it has happened often enough that I have worked out the best thing to do, and you know what, I don’t even talk to the person sitting in my seat, I just go straight to the flight attendant and tell them there is someone sitting in my seat, and I task the attendant with the job of telling them to move, it always works and that way I don’t even have to get into any kind of discussion with the person in my seat, I just don’t even look at them or make eye contact, I mean that might sound like I’m being rude but I just don’t want any kind of confrontation, and actually it is part of the flight attendants job to ensure everyone is seated in their correct seat, and they are always happy to help out in that way.
People also need to keep in mind that your seat is tied to your credit card. I was flying to the mainland from Hawaii and had a woman in my seat when I boarded. She said she felt we should just relax but I insisted I wanted the window I had booked AND I had opted to put my card in for things when I checked in on the app so that made me nervous. After she moved I noticed that the attendants had to help her input her card into the app and she proceeded to order about 5 drinks and food. Just food for thought.
Having travelled alone on an airplane numerous times as a child, I don’t get why people are so freaked out when they can’t sit right next to their kids on a plane. The frickin plane isn’t going to lose your kid in the next aisle up. I seriously hate it when people ask me to move seats because I always pay to select my seat because that’s what adults do when they want a specific seat.
I wonder if that was the same lady who did this to me when I was in my 20’s except it was a stopover and I had only gone to the bathroom. When I got back, the new flyers had boarded and this woman decided to sit in my seat where my bag, phone, and other personal items were. She didn’t even wait to ask. She said, “oh, is this your seat? Can I sit here with my son?” I was too young then and didn’t have the courage to say anything. In fact, I almost cried.. I thought I adults knew better. I’m glad this lady stood up for herself.
People are disgustedly entitle thinking everyone else ought to submit/adapt to their needs accordingly. Didn’t the lady plan ahead for 3 people together seats or simply she’s cheapskate who refused to pay extra for seat to be next to her kids, BUT shamelessly stole from other who paid EXTRA for it? and one more thing, why is this has to be “controversial” in anyway and shape? It’s pretty straight forward to decent human beings who rightfully earn what they work hard for. Only takers cannot understand the concept.
I had this happened to me once many years ago . . . back in the day when the 757 was new, my preferred coach seat was always the port (left) side, aisle, first row (which is adjacent to the door with virtually unlimited legroom plus you’re off the plane quickly on arrival). I had booked that seat and a lady with similar preferences for that row had booked the middle seat. A mom, call her “Karen” using a modern euphemism for reasons which will become obvious, travelling with two kids had the window seat; “Karen” asked the two of us if we’d switch with her boys so they could sit with her . . . her boys were seated in Row 34. I and the lady next to me in the middle were both mid-career at the time, and, as mentioned, in addition to the legroom, we valued getting quickly off the plane and on to our business engagements at the destination. We declined the request to switch to Row 34. “Karen” then proceeded to berate the lady next to me about our unwillingness to accommodate her; I could tell my middle seatmate was flummoxed by this, and sort of gave me one of those “WTF?” combined with “Help me” looks. I interjected, asking “Karen” why don’t you give up your seat and switch with an individual back in Row 34 or nearby so you can be near your kids? She snapped “I wasn’t talking to you.” I replied, “well, you are now, because neither this lady (referring to my middle seatmate) nor I have any intention of switching . . . especially after your behavior . . . so you can either switch with someone yourself to be with your kids, or knock off the attitude since we’re going to be here a while.
I’m a mom and I don’t blame you for not switching seats. Middle seats totally suck. And like you said, you specifically chose your window seat. Hopefully it will be a lesson for her and she will book seats together with her kids next time. They weren’t toddlers, so she didn’t need to be right with them. I just can’t believe that she took your seat assuming that you would be happy to take her middle seat. Kudos to you for holding your ground!
Something similar but much worse happened on a train back to Glasgow from London. There was a family with about… 8 children and a dog who were across our seats and a family who were behind us. The mother of that family was super snobby and condecending. Convo basically went: “We don’t have booked seats, we were told to sit anywhere” “No. You’d have been told to sit anywhere… that’s not already been booked” “Do you expect me to just get all the kids to move” “Yes.” This went on a bit and they eventually moved. Then the mum from the other family who’d booked the seats who’d been less blunt than I had been went “Do you think I was too rude” and I was like “No, you just said you wanted the seats you paid for” Then the dad from that family went “Man, 8 kids. They must not have a tv”
As a former FA and the mother to three boys there is no rule that someone has to give up their seats. I’ve been in situations where for different reasons I couldn’t book our seats together. There have been a handful of times I’ve asked someone NOT assumed if we could switch but only if they were getting an equal or better seat. And the only times it worried me was when the boys were too young to sit alone in the event of emergency. People that demand. Assume. Dictate their needs are more important than others are a huge part of what’s wrong in todays world.
This has also happened to me twice… The first time I was in my early 20’s flying on a red eye for work where once the flight landed I went in directly to work on very little sleep. I also booked a window seat so that I could lean my head up against it and go to sleep. I was in a row with 3 seats and a woman placed her sleeping infant that was in a car seat in the window seat (she was able to board first because she had a child) and sat herself in the middle seat. When I told her, her baby was in my seat (she was assigned the middle and aisle seats) she refused to move her sleeping baby over to the middle seat and sit in the aisle that she was assigned to. I called the flight attendant over and this woman refused to budge! The airline ended up giving me an empty seat in first class but 30 years later I’m still upset with myself that I gave in to this woman’s irrational demands… Does a sleeping baby care which seat it is in?!? Plus the window seat is often drafty. And this was pre-COVID, pre-9/11. The second time was a woman with two young boys who were in my aisle and the Mom was seated way at the back of the plane. She asked if I would switch with her, I asked her where her seat was – a middle seat waaaaay at the back of the plane by the toilets. No thank you. I told her I’d look after her boys (around ages 5-8). She also made a fuss and the flight attendant ended up finding them different seats where they could sit together. Moral of the story… If you want to sit together, make sure to book your seats together because I’m not moving!
I learned my lesson…was asked by a flight attendant to switch seats so a family could be together and of course I said yes- only to be given a seat on the last row across from the bathroom. I will certainly ask what seat I will be moved to prior to agreeing -should this ever occur again……..LESSON LEARNED
Totally in your right. You do not need to give up your seat, I would never give up a window seat for a middle seat. I’ve been asked and I’ve refused. People need to plan ahead when they book their flight, select their seat, even if they have to pay extra to select their seat in advance. Otherwise, you take what you get for failing to plan ahead.
A similar thing happened to me. I booked an aisle seat because I’m claustrophobic and a guy wanted me to switch to a middle seat so he could sit with his teenagers. I said sorry no, I need an aisle seat and he finally moved. He was a bigger guy and I think he just didn’t want to sit in the middle seat.
My sister had stage 4 brain cancer, no hair and ill. We flew her back to Boston to see the family (knowing it would be her last time). On the plane a woman asked my sister if she would move her seat to sit next to her kids. I was like you got to be kidding me knowing my sister had cancer. I was beside myself. WTH some people are just so selfish. Good for you holding your ground.
I have a 7 year old son. If a parent isn’t smart enough to book side by side seats, it’s their problem. I totally agree with this lady not changing seats and it’s absurd that this was ever an issue. I despise when people feel entitled to what isn’t theirs and/or feel they have the right to inconvenience others.
30 years ago I had flight where I was the middle or window seat. The aisle seat had a nice 60ish lady sitting there. Another woman came up and told her that she was in her seat. The older lady looked a little confused, was hard of hearing, a little slow, and finally the other woman said ‘oh, that’s okay, I will just take your seat’ and moved to a middle seat behind us. After that the older lady leaned over to me and in a bright, cheerful voice said ‘it works every time’. I’ve never looked at people the same way since.
I was once on a 2 stop international flight to NY from Cape Town in business class. A passenger was going to his seat but someone was already seated in it. There was a lot of space so he just sat down in what he thought was an open seat. When we stopped to refuel and pick up passengers, the plane was now overbooked and they asked the man in the double booked seat to disembark. But it was the man who had already had his seat “stolen” from the start of the flight. They said because he had not claimed his assigned seat from the start of the flight, that he had given up his right to sit in it.
For years my Dad had season tickets for the White Sox. They were right behind the dugout in row AA, practically on the field. So naturally there were always people in our seats. We had no problem letting the kids hang out there so they could get autographs before the game. They were always cool about going to their seats after getting autographs. It was random adults in our seats. Most quietly got up and left but there were plenty that felt entitled to hijack our row. Even when the andyfrains told them to leave. Its a shame because people go to a ballgame to relax and have fun, not to argue with strangers.
I have claustrophobia and need to sit in the front seat. I always book early to secure that seat. During a recent 2-hour flight, a couple (around 50 years old) asked me to switch seats with them so they could sit together. The seat they wanted me to switch to was in the third row and an aisle seat. They had received an upgrade, while I had paid the full amount for my seat. I couldn’t say no because I felt guilty declining their request. However, from now on, I will be able to assert myself and say no. Thank you for the encouragement.
When I reached menopause at 55 I took off for Paris alone for a month after catering to the needs of children and a husband for decades. It was my first time seeing Paris and I did everything there was to do and see. My family encouraged me to spread my wings. When I took the river cruise I bought my ticket and stood in line early to get a great seat at the edge to see as much as I could. An American woman and her 7-year-old traveling alone together boarded and sat next to me on the bench, and the woman asked me to switch seats with her son so that he could have a better view. The boat is open concept, so there was no roof impeding the view on either side, not to mention I only took up 18″ of the bench right next to the port side. So I said, “no”, and she looked shocked. She pretended not to care, but I could tell that she was seething. About 20 minutes into the ride, I switched with her from guilt, and now I wish I hadn’t. It was more of the same Mom guilt I had run away to take a break from!!! This trip was expensive, and it was MINE. That woman took my seat, not her son, and she put him on her lap, which actually did block my view on that side. Look–as a mom, I’d step in to save your kid, feed your kid, shelter your kid, whatever.. but this is something different. Moms are people, too.
Never explain — you paid for the seat — the woman was in the wrong — move on. That you felt it necessary to explain yourself comes from low self worth and low self esteem. Publicizing your experience is not going to make that go away. It is just an opportunity for you to vent. “No” is a complete sentence said respectfully — there is nothing more to say.
I had a 14 hour flight from Atlanta to Dubai. I paid for a window seat, and boarded the flight and took my seat. Moments later the flight attendant asked if I would switch seats with the lady in middle seat next to me because she needed to breastfeed her infant. I was silent and upset but ended up giving her my seat because everybody on the plane was looking at me like I was some kind of jerk. I felt cheated because that lady failed to plan her trip at my expense. I’m 6’4 215lbs in the middle seat for 14 hours. The sad part is she didn’t even breastfeed, she had formula in a bottle. Each time I saw the bottle I got angry inside. Maybe I need anger management classes.
This recently happened to me and my husband. A mom with two kids about the same ages like the ones in this article. She didn’t say anything when we told her politely that two of those seats were ours. And the passenger behind her mumbled “why don’t they just sit in any empty seats” I told her because when those people get here they’re going to expect me to get out of their seat. There’s a reason seats are assigned. Then I immediately addressed the flight attendant that was there. He suggested we’d sit in the two seats that were supposed to be hers. Not wanting to cause a problem, we did. And that whole time the lady said nothing. Which lead me to believe the flight attendant probably was the one who told her she could do it and he’d handle the situation. Worst mistake EVER. The guy we sat with in her row (he got there after) talked our ears off and spilled water on my husband. We don’t pay extra for seats because we don’t care if we’re separated but usually end up seated together. From now on if someone asks for our seats I’m going to tell them we can’t because we paid extra for our seats.
I went to the movies and we got there early and before it filled up. We both like the high seats way in the back so I grabbed two of them and my niece went to get some snacks. Soon after two women started walking up the aisle toward me. When they saw me froze in their steps and looked at me like I’d done something terribly wrong. Then they actually told me that these were their seats. That this is where they always sit. I said, “Not tonight”. The audacity of some people will never cease to amaze me.
You did ZERO wrong and sounds like you handled it like a true lady! I pay extra for window seats. I’ll take a seat WAY in the back to get a window seat. She could have done the same when she booked the tickets. I book the window seat because my legs are long and I can really lean into the wall without taking space from the person beside me. Good for you!!!!
I’m a mom. I would go out of my way to ensure I was sitting by my children ahead of time. Expecting a stranger to hand over their seat, let alone that you already took over, is mind boggling. You didn’t even do what was needed to make sure you were sat by your kids, but expect a stranger to? Haha no sweetie, no
I am sorry that I didn’t stand up for myself when I was younger. The flight attendant asked me to switch seat to accommodate a couple who wanted to sit together. I oblige because I was a child. I ended up sitting by the window, but the duration of my flight was extremely uncomfortable because of a lady who I sat next to. She was overweight and her body was taking up part of my personal space. I appreciate you standing up for yourself. There is no need to be uncomfortable to please others.
Same happened to me but I chose an aisle seat in the front of the plane. The woman who sat in my seat told me, ‘but they sat my daughter up here”. When I asked her where she was seated it was way in the back. I was like NOPE, get up maybe they can work something out with someone back there who wanted to sit in front but no way was I sitting in the back. And then the nerve just to take it — ask a fight attendent for assistance don’t just take peoples seat because I have no problem telling you to move.
Also, I was recently flying alone one a Southwest flight (which has open seating) and I took an aisle seat with a nice lady at the window seat and an empty seat in the middle. This is my favorite set up. I love to share the drop-down table with my seat-mate. We conspired to look “as uninviting as possible” to those who were still boarding, hoping to keep our little desk area. But then a boy – about age 10 – very politely asked if he could sit between us. Of course, we welcomed him. The three of us then had a t o-hour gab-fest talking about homework, movies, and our favorite snacks and we just had a great time. I tell you all of this by way of suggesting that the mom in this story should’ve sent her son to sit in the middle seat. Age 15 is a great age to perfect social skills and learning to interact with adults.
The same thing happened to me. I chose the aisle seat, and a lady wanted me to sit in another row in the middle seat so her and her daughter could sit together. I forgot to mention her daughter continuously knocked into me (at least 10 times) while we were lined up to go on the plane. I had to put my carry on between me and the child because the mother wasn’t trying to stop her, and I was about to lose it and start screaming. My aisle seat was very lovely.