Plane Karma

A few weeks ago, hubby and I had seats on a plane to Atlanta but not together. We discussed this in line. The woman behind us heard us and offered to switch seats so that we could sit together. We did. It was nice of her. She didn't have to do it. She didn't lose anything as she went from a window seat to another window seat but it was nice of her all the same.

Yesterday, I am on a tiny plane to Nashville. I'd say 15 row. There are two seats on each side of the aisle. I have checked in early and traded my row 7 aisle seat for a row 1 aisle seat. Easy on. Easy off. I get into my seat. Two children settle in across the aisle. Their father has the window seat next to me. If I were a decent human being, I'd have offered this 6'4" guy the aisle seat so he could get closer to his kids. What can I tell you? I wanted the aisle seat. I like the aisle seat. Even though I'm only 5'4", I like to stretch out my legs, too. And I don't like to look out the window or have the scenery jumping suddenly next to me when there's turbulence. Makes me sick. Can you hear the rationalization here? How about in this, then: This guy could have gotten to the airport earlier than me and gotten the seat I switched into. It's his own damn fault.

So I let him fold himself into the window seat and I read my book. Or try to. His kids were not wild by any means but there was still a lot of communication going on across me.

"Dad, are we almost there yet?"
"No, we are not almost there yet."
"God, we've been on this plane forEVER!" [Ed. note: this, after 1/2 an hour]
"Keep your voice down."
"Dad..."
*no response*
"Dad..."
"What?"
"She's touching me."
"Are you two going to behave?!"

and on and on it went. I guess I should have paid the karma forward. At least it was a short flight and nobody actually screamed or cried. Not even me.