Internet Divided Over Hairy Plane Faux Pas: 'Disgusting'

With 1,483 unruly traveler incidents reported so far in 2022, it's no surprise that the internet is filled with stories of terrible plane passengers. But for every violent or disruptive incident that gets investigated, there are many more examples of rude or inconsiderate passengers that go unpunished. From the man who put his bare foot on another person's armrest, to the woman who allegedly breastfed a cat on a Delta Airlines flight, it's usually clear when a fellow passenger has crossed a line—even if the person doesn't realize it themselves. However, this latest example of etiquette ignorance has the internet divided.

Posting to Reddit's r/mildlyinfuriating forum, user u/JamesBuchanan complained about the woman in front of him hanging her hair over the back of the seat. He shared a photo of the woman's long locks that can be seen slightly encroaching on James's space. In just two days, the now-deleted post has received almost 20,000 upvotes and more than 3,000 comments from Reddit users. However, they were divided on whether or not the woman's hair was something to complain about. Some users were offended by the woman's hair, with user LuzDeGas calling it "Disgusting." "I Would ask her to please take her hair off your side of the chair," they wrote. Very_olivia agreed, commenting: "as a person with very long hair i am stunned people do this. it would literally never even occur to me. Foul." Other users didn't see what the fuss was all about. CardiologistOk1506 asked: "what is so gross about hair to people? I get that it's rude to ignorantly encroach on someone's personal space, especially in a place like an airplane, but I don't understand why people are grossed out by hair?" Deadhobbit said: "The f*** is wrong with all you people, at no point in that flight were you going to interact with any part of the seat her hair is touching." A pre-pandemic study by the U.S Travel Association found that most Americans hate traveling by plane. Some 60 percent surveyed felt that airline fees, seat assignments and flight changes had gotten worse between 2012 and 2017. For others, the problems began even before getting onboard, with 47 percent complaining about airport struggles such as long lines and busy terminals. Post-COVID, these issues are likely to be exasperated as the industry battles to recover from the impact of the pandemic. Experts predict delays and flight cancellations due to fewer airline staff (including pilots). This also means airlines are struggling to meet demand, leading to fewer available seats and price hikes.

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Dealing with annoying passengers on top of everything else is especially frustrating, but some people suggested extreme measures to get the woman to move her hair. "Make snipping sounds with scissors," advised Due-Ad7383. "The threat is stronger than the execution." "You should start rubbing it like you're petting a cat while loudly whispering 'Who's the little pussy cat? Yes you are my little pussy cat." She'll love it....," said kanman72. While SitePersonal5346 told the poster to "Stick chewing gum in it." Many were disturbed by the methods users were proposing, calling them "psycho." Buzzes-LikeA_Fridge said: "I am not understanding why this is bothering you. Or why everyone else seems to feels the need to teach her a lesson." S_117 commented: "A bunch of people in this thread are saying things like 'pull on her hair' or 'cut her 'hair.' Wtf is this psycho behaviour? "You can just ask her to move instead of being an absolute creep." Newsweek has reached out to u/JamesBuchanan for comment.