They behave rudely because they believe politeness makes their targets powerless.
They assume that anyone unwilling to create a scene will eventually surrender.
The man behind me seemed to have made exactly that calculation.
He believed I would complain once, perhaps twice, and then give up.
He had no idea that I was already considering a different approach.
I was not interested in humiliating him simply for the sake of revenge.
I did not want to turn the flight into a shouting match or make the surrounding passengers uncomfortable.
I wanted him to recognize something simple: other people were entitled to the same basic consideration he expected for himself.
If he refused to understand that through an ordinary conversation, perhaps he would understand it through a harmless demonstration.
I glanced toward the aisle and noticed a flight attendant helping another passenger several rows ahead.
That reminded me of an important point. Aircraft cabins are shared environments governed by safety procedures and crew instructions.
