My name is Steve, and I’m a 43-year-old consultant. I’d like to share something that happened to me a week ago on a 6-hour flight from Seattle to Florida. I received an upgrade because there was an empty business class seat, and I’m a frequent flyer.
Then, a woman approached and demanded to take the seat. I said no. She replied, “What kind of man are you?
I’m seven months pregnant!” I didn’t move and ignored her completely. She went back to her seat. But when we landed, the flight attendant approached me.
I froze when she glared at me and simply said, “Sir, I hope you choose kindness in the future, because our decisions can have big consequences!” I was stunned and honestly had no idea what she was talking about. Imagine my shock when later I found out that after returning to her seat, the woman had become overwhelmed, apparently due to the emotional stress, and fainted. The crew gave her the necessary care, and fortunately, she recovered quickly and was fine by the end of the flight.
I didn’t know any of this had happened; I was sitting at the front and had fallen asleep. After the flight, other passengers told me about it, and I could sense their judgment, as well as the flight attendant’s. Still, I don’t feel like I did anything wrong.
Was I really at fault for choosing my own comfort over a stranger’s? Do you think I was the bad guy?