commentaries

Many of us are in denial that what we are seeing is actually happening, because we don't want to face the reality that it is. We need to get past that feeling and help people we see in an abusive situation.

While the world is full of questionable characters, in my opinion you were right to mind your own business during the flight, however difficult that might have been. The way you handled it was perfect, in "private" and in a way that probably caused the individual to respond in the way he did, in a tempered and reasonable fashion. So kudos to you!

Really? Some guy being rude to his Mom is hardly the same as some guy abusing a kid in the shower. I would have been mad, too. But I know enough to stay out of things that don't concern me. When this kind of behavior crosses the line between legal and illegal, then you can intervene. Until then, mind your own business. You don't have a right not to be annoyed.

If you had spoken up and an altercation resulted, you might have been arrested when the plane landed, for having created a disturbance. When on an airplane, leave it to the flight attendants to handle unpleasant passengers.

i was flying to honolulu one time and this passenger flying alone was talking super loud to the young honeymooners next to him, right behind me. i couldn't even hear my music on my headphones he was so loud. i decided i had to do something, it was a eight hour flight, i took off the headphones and asked him politely to speak quietly, he gave me a mean look, talked behind my back for awhile to the young couple and was quiet the rest of the flight. perhaps i was out of line, but i got many approving nods from passengers in seats around me. he just didn't know how loud he was. he was basically yelling his boring stories for everyone to hear. i am sorry for being the one to tell him to tone down? no...

I have found that when people's behavior needs correcting, any attempt to do so results in getting a face full of attitude, particularly from people who have significant dysfunction (the underclass). An airplane cabin is a unique milieu because it's a captive audience, but unlike an office or classroom, there is no authority figure who has the power to fire you or alter your permanent record. In such an environment, one has to figure out whether the boss or teacher cares about a positive working environment, or whether they hate whiners and malcontents. Taking action too often brings negative consequences and offers no rewards or hope of positive resolution. We are all tested on our ability to endure suffering, take a hit for the team, and deliver results in difficult circumstances. A person who is ready to complain about trivial things is seen as a walking lawsuit, and will be targeted for dismissal on any plausible grounds when the opportunity present itself. Having a strong sense of justice makes one a misfit in a corporate climate when there is something profoundly dishonest about the business model.

Davepen I disagree. No one should have to listen to the vulgar talk for hours on a plane. I am surprised the staff didn't say something though. I think telling him about himself off the plane was perfect. I wish I could talk to my Mom.

next time you fly wear head phones, people in general are a lost cause.

Airplanes are already a hostile environment. You pay several hundred dollars for a ticket. Then you are required to pay another $25+ to check your bag(s). You have to get to the airport 2 hours in advance in the likely event you have to stand in line for an hour to get thru security. Then you get crammed into a metal sausage casing with strangers who may or may not practice proper hygiene for the next 3-4 hours. And that's assuming you're flying alone. Plus, who knows how many rude, drunk or self-medicated (expletive deleted) the already travel-weary flight crew had to deal with before your flight? This individual's behavior toward his mother was rude & uncalled for by virtually any standards. You'll get no argument there. But, what we have here is a small snap shot of a much larger picture. We have no knowledge of the circumstances surrounding the couples trip or their relationship. Rather than confront the man on his brash behavior the writer may have been able to defuse the situation, or at least grant herself, her fellow passengers & this man's mother some quiet time by politely asking the man to pipe down so she could sleep? Often times I believe the direct approach works best. However, some circumstances require a little more diplomacy. As the saying goes... You have to pick your battles.

Would the people who down-thumbbed my earlier post please express their reasons for doing so? I hope I didn't imply approval for the fact that the world is this way. I wish it were better. I wish I lived in a place where people stood up for what's right instead of allowing the bullies and fatheads walk all over us. But the fact is, we're all afraid of a bullet in the face, or of giving the impression that we're self-righteous busybodies looking for an excuse to get indignant. Taking a stand puts one in the minority, and it's a dangerous place to be. And it certainly isn't going to increase anybody's chances of getting a date in this town.