An airplane passenger became annoyed with an “entitled” kid on her flight, so she whipped out her camera and went to war with the child. With the confrontation captured on video, a debate ensued among viewers as the footage went viral. The only question is, whose side are you on?
One passenger, going by @vmaymah on TikTok, gained widespread attention after sharing a video of her dealings with a child she labeled as “entitled” during a flight. Refusing to let the kid lower her window shade, @vmaymah decided to record the incident and share it online, sparking a major debate among viewers.
What exactly happened? In the footage, @vmaymah was quarreling with a child seated in front of her over the window shade. The child repeatedly tried to close the shade, but @vmaymah, wanting to enjoy the view, kept opening it back up. “It’s my window,” she captioned the clip, showing the child’s hand reaching back to pull down the shade.
“POV: the kid in front of me thinks he can close MY window shade,” read a text overlay on the video. @vmaymah continually prevented the child from closing the shade. The child, seemingly thinking it was a game, kept trying until eventually stopping after realizing the adult wouldn’t back down.
The video quickly went viral, racking up millions of views and sparking a heated discussion over who should control the window shade. Many viewers supported @vmaymah, praising her direct approach, while others sympathized with the boy, considering he might have just wanted to sleep.
Commenters were divided, with some commending @vmaymah for “defending her view” and others feeling bad for the child. “He’s a child,” one person noted, suggesting he might just want to sleep. Others also shared their annoyance with having the window open during the entire flight.
One comment even suggested that the window might belong to the child “despite it clearly being next to @vmaymah’s seat,” highlighting the odd placement of airplane windows. So, who actually gets to decide? According to flight attendant Kelly Kincaid, “Whoever is sitting next to the window gets to control it.” She advised checking with the airline as policies can vary.
“Speaking for my own airline, the only time window shades need to be open is during takeoff, landing, or in preparation for an emergency landing,” Kincaid said. She also noted that some airlines may require exit-row windows to stay open during takeoff or landing. She underscored the importance of being familiar with your airline’s specific policies.
Kincaid’s key takeaway? “Passengers need to be flexible with different policies at different airlines.” It’s ideal for window-seat passengers to consider the comfort of others while still enjoying their own view.
While the rules about window shades are not as clear-cut as one might think, @vmaymah did have the right to enjoy her view. The child, however, may have had reasons for wanting it closed. Without a conversation, the reason for his actions remains unknown. But should @vmaymah have cared?
This question remains subjective. Personally, I’d rather adjust the shade than risk causing a child to cry and ruin my flight. At the very least, I’d ask the kid if something was wrong and try to use the opportunity to teach him something valuable. Ultimately, if we can all just be kind and considerate to one another, everyone’s travel experience would be much more enjoyable.
