Air travel can be a long and tiring process, and it can be made easier or harder based on your neighbour.
If you're flying alone you will be sat next to a random person, and that person could be your new best friend or could be a screaming baby. On long haul flights you will be spending a good amount of time with this person, so there's a chance that you may strike up conversation at some point.
However, this was not the case for one passenger who had a dispute over the plane's window blinds, reports the Mirror. Taking to the internet, they claimed that the passenger next to them seemed irked from the get-go.
The passenger says they like looking out of the window, so when the woman next to them asked for the blind to be closed and they said no things got a tad tense. After the fact the passenger shared the experience on Reddit's popular 'Am I The A**hole" board.
The post split opinion, with some believing that their reaction was reasonable, while others said that the woman had every right to ask for the blind to be closed. The poster explained that they had purposefully booked the window seat "as I enjoy both looking out the window and having the warm sun shine on me".
When they arrived on the flight they found they were sharing a row with a woman in the aisle seat, but nobody in the middle seat.
They claim that when they initially asked the woman to move so they could get into their window seat, she was "already sighing, not sure why".
They then explained that about 10 minutes into the 7am flight, they had headphones in with music playing, leaning on the window "enjoying the sun on my face", when their neighbour tapped them on the shoulder and asked them to close the window shade.
The passenger says they refused, explaining "Sorry, but the whole reason I purchase a window seat is to look out the window", only for their fellow passenger to let out "a huge exaggerated sigh" and reply "okay, great".
Now, they've asked Reddit users as to whether they were in the wrong, writing: "I kind of can see where she’s coming from but if she insists on having the shade shut then she could have purchased a window seat. I paid an extra $30 or whatever it was so I feel as if I should be able to do whatever I want with the window shade… AITA?"
The majority of users appear to be on the passenger's side, agreeing that they were right to refuse.
One person wrote: "She asked, you answered. She just had a small grump, didn't make a scene, didn't start to harass you or whatever."
Another said: "She politely asked, you respectfully declined. End of story. Her dramatic display of indignation is a reflection of her, not you. Were she to have continued to complain, or ask a flight attendant to make you close the shade, she'd have been in the wrong. If you had acted antagonistically toward her, you'd have been at fault. As is, just another day."
Some users agreed, but said the situation could have been different if the flight had been overnight or long-haul.
However, others were on the woman's side, arguing that just because you're sat in a window seat, that doesn't mean you have sole use of it.
"This is public transit not your private plane, there are certain common curtesy expectations," wrote one user, adding that they felt the passenger should have agreed to a compromise.
Another suggested it was a selfish move, replying that "you're not the only person on that plane and just because you paid for a seat doesn't mean nobody else did".
One person flagged that trying to find a compromise with fellow passengers could be key - especially if you need them to move later in the flight.
They argued: "If the person at the window seat gets to control the window, the person in the aisle seat gets to control the aisle. It's public transportation, not a private jet. Be considerate and compromise. Lower the shade halfway to cut down on the glare, and maybe the person on the aisle will gather up their laptop and beverage, raise their tray table, stand up and let you out to pee.
You can read more in the full Reddit thread.
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