Passengers cannot simply claim another person’s space because they find it convenient.
I could have called the flight attendant immediately.
In fact, that would have been a perfectly reasonable option.
But before doing so, I decided to give the man one final opportunity to correct his behavior voluntarily.
I turned around again.
“I’m asking you one last time,” I said calmly. “Please move your foot off my armrest.”
He finally looked up from his phone.
“What are you going to do about it?” he asked.
Several nearby passengers glanced in our direction.
His question was delivered with the confidence of someone who believed he had already won.
He seemed to expect me to become angry, raise my voice, and give him the dramatic confrontation he could dismiss as an overreaction.
I simply looked at him.
“Nothing you need to worry about,” I replied.
Then I faced forward.
The man smiled to himself and settled back into his seat.
