'[She] began playing a film without headphones': Flight attendant makes passenger apologize to woman playing a movie out loud on the plane

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Brad Dickson • Managing Editor
Jul 15, 2023 12:00 PM EDT

Typically, when you're in the right of something, you expect might expect an apology from the person who has wronged you. You probably wouldn't expect yourself to be the one apologizing… if that were the case, wouldn't that make you the one in the wrong?

There will be times in our lives when it seems like the entire world is against us, where we're absolutely certain we've done everything right and nothing wrong, and—yet, everyone else seems to think otherwise. This can lead us to wonder, are we wrong? Is our entire perspective skewed? Or are we being collectively gaslit by an entire community of people who have it wrong for some reason?

If you find yourself in this position, maybe take a step back, look at things from a different perspective, and appeal to someone (or some people) who are removed from the situation to gain theirs.

That's what this airline passenger did when he had a confrontation with another passenger on a plane after the other passenger began watching a movie without headphones through the speakers of her phone at 1 AM. After suffering an hour of this, the passenger tapped her on the shoulder to get her attention, asking her to please put on headphones and triggering an explosive reaction.

When the flight attendant came past, she attempted to resolve the issue, appealing to the passengers in the row in front to see whether or not the noise was bothering them. It wasn't, as they, of course, were wearing noise-canceling headphones. This led the flight attendant—self-elected judge and executioner—to demand that the first passenger apologize to the one refusing to use headphones.

For anyone born yesterday, playing media out loud in a public space or on public transport is a bad move. Just don't do it. There's no doubt that the passenger playing media out loud was in the wrong here. And, yet, the first passenger was forced to turn to the internet to appeal to readers and see whether or not they were in the wrong for their role in the exchange.

They shared their account of events with a popular workplace subreddit, where readers shared their thoughts.

Read on to see their account of events and the reader's responses. Next, see this passenger who confronted another loud-talking passenger on their flight which led to a confrontation.

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  • 01
    Font - Made to apologize to EB playing her phone out loud on nighttime flight RANT Originally posted elsewhere but thought this sup would appreciate it. Recently on a late evening (11 pm) flight back from holidays and was seated beside a middle aged woman who, mid-flight (12-1 AM), took out her phone and began playing a film without headphones. The media was loud enough to hear through my own headphones so in irritation I tapped her shoulder and asked "do you not have any headphones?" which trig
    via u/Beginning_Arrival_23
  • 02
    Font - The flight attendant came by to investigate and offered to move the woman. The attendant then returned to ask the person in the row in front of me whether she heard the media. They couldn't hear anything through their Airpod Pros. Therefore, it was determined the media was not loud and I had to 'apologise' to the offender (through gritted teeth because I don't want to be put on a no fly list over this clownery) who happily continued playing her film for her new neighbours to hear.
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  • 03
    Font - Is this now standard practice on flights? I was always under the impression personal media needed to be used with head or earphones but maybe I'm just a dinosaur who hasn't flown in awhile and I don't know what constitutes being 'rude' anymore. I guess what I want to ask is; would you have issue with someone playing music/media out loud on the flight and AITA here or is she the EB?
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  • 04
    Font - FloptimasPloptimas 1 day ago No, she is the bio for sure. No one with an ounce of courtesy plays their media in a public space without headphones. I would have been VERY shitty. 315 Reply Share 15 abbynicoleh 22 hr. ago I won't even play media without headphones when I'm home ALONE.. I can't imagine walking through life with this level of entitlement and lack of regard for others ... Reply Share ...
    via u/Beginning_Arrival_23
  • 05
    Font - tydust. 1 day ago I've been on two flights recently where the flight attendant has (sometimes more than once) told a passenger they need to have headphones. No mention of HOW loud, just that you can't have volume at all. The FA was wrong in your case. 122 Reply Share 39 oneoneeightsixnine. 1 day ago I just went on a short trip and on both flights at takeoff and when we got to cruising altitude the flight attendant specifically mentioned having to wear headphones to the whole plane. Must b
    via u/Beginning_Arrival_23
  • 06
    Font - leon_gonfishun - 1 day ago The flight attendant screwed up here too. Make you apologize? That is a weird power flex. 206 Reply Share ... ZekalMacabre +2. 1 day ago I would have refused to apologize. 56 Reply Share 21 ManfredsJuiced Balls 1 day ago Same, but I'd be half afraid the flight attendant would take that as me being "non-compliant", something gets said, an air marshal waits for me, and I'd be on a no-fly list for the rest of my life. Reply Share
    via u/Beginning_Arrival_23
  • 07
    Font - Blynn1228 1 day ago As a former FA (I left the industry In March after 7 years) and I can promise you that's not normal. That lady with her loud a$$ phone would've had 2 options, headphones or that volume to a ZERO. It's not anyone else's problem she 1) doesn't have any 2) didn't bring any. Other passengers shouldn't have to suffer from her selfishness ESP on a late haul flight. Our company even had it programmed in our audio announcements ... sorry you had to deal with that and honestly
    via u/Beginning_Arrival_23
  • 08
    Font - CoderJoe1 1 day ago "I'm so sorry I politely requested you use earphones when sitting next to me. I now see it was ridiculous for me to expect you to behave like an adult and act like you have any sense of decorum." 32 Reply Share
    via u/Beginning_Arrival_23
  • 09
    Rectangle - PizzaNuggies What airline was this? +2. 1 day ago So, if everyone starts doing this the flight attendant doesn't see the problem that would cause? Reply Share 24
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  • 10
    Font - hammtronic +2. 1 day ago If I had to guess the woman next to you made a stink with the flight attendant who was tired and opted for the path of least resistance which would be to have you provide an insincere apology so the FA could get on with their job 29 Reply Share
    via u/Beginning_Arrival_23
  • 11
    Font - measaqueen .. 1 day ago You are an adult who is in the right and owe no one an apology. A simple "no thank you", putting your ear buds in, and closing your eyes would have been the response to the flight attendant I would have given. 13 Reply Share
    via u/Beginning_Arrival_23
  • 12
    Font - kibbbelle 1 day ago She is TA and EB. I cannot stand people who do this, I see it all the time with people blasting shitty music on the train. It's like they are screaming "my entertainment is more important than your comfort" essentially you're dealing with an iPad kid but worse, bc she should know better. ↑ 11 ↓ Reply Share
    via u/Beginning_Arrival_23

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karens flight attendant airlines public transportation passenger airline karens in the wild entitled flights karen entitled people
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