'I’ll wait': Karen steals a window seat from a holiday traveler who puts her in her place then publicly shames her entitlement with stoic patience

Author image for Jesse Kessenheimer
Jesse Kessenheimer • Writer and Editor
Dec 27, 2024 1:00 PM EST

Holiday travel is the worst, but this stoic passenger managed to keep their cool under pressure when an entitled woman stole their window seat on the plane.

There's nothing worse than that feeling of manic energy at the airport during the holidays. Everyone is rushing off to somewhere exotic, fumbling with packages, luggage, and their will to live as the snow falls belligerently and their phones ring off the hook. If it wasn't stressful enough, the holiday season puts added pressure on every facet of air travel–from the weather, your scant PTO, and your mother-in-law guilt-tripping you into visiting during a snowstorm. So when this passenger was nearly reaching their final destination, they didn't have much patience left to deal with the entitled Karen who stole their window seat, but they had just enough sass left in them to put this greedy seat thief in her place. 

Keep scrolling for the burning shame of silence that left this entire flight speechless and beat red with fury during the jolliest time of the year. 

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, Karen.

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  • 01
    "She had no supporters from the crowd either"
    via Daboost

    This image is for illustration only, and the subjects are models; the image does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 02
    Another seat squatter Discussion Happened again. "Are you in 25a?" "Oh, I'm in 25e but sitting next to my husband here." "Ma'am, I'm 25a." Ignoring her gesture to the open middle seat across the aisle. She
    via NoodlesSpicyHot
  • 03
    blusters. Full line of folks backed up the jetway waiting to board. I back up and loudly say. "I'll wait for you to get to your seat so that I can get to mine." I take a baby step back and say nothing else, no engagement. She blusters. I say nothing, standing stoically, waiting.
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  • 04
    She then makes three other people get up so she can move her stuff. She's older it takes a while. FA comes up from the back to inquire why boarding has stopped. I say nothing and let the silence do its work. I look from the FA to the old woman and back back to the
    via NoodlesSpicyHot
  • 05
    FA. The woman continues to mumble and bluster, feeling the weight of her silent shame. "Let me see your boarding pass." Says the FA. "It's in my pocket, I know what seat I need to go to." She says with raised irritated voice. I remain silent. Her husband is turning
    via NoodlesSpicyHot
  • 06
    beet red. People around us start to comment about this not being southwest, and when people do this it messes up boarding and creates unneeded delays, etc. Still I say nothing. The whole thing takes about 9 or 10min. I sat next to beet red husband the rest of the flight without a word. Amazing how often people keep doing this.
    via NoodlesSpicyHot
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    Edit: I was not expecting this kind of response. Clearly I struck a nerve. For the naysayers. It happened. Dozens of people were there. It may have felt longer than 10min and been shorter than 10. But the events are true from my perspective. Others may have a different viewpoint. I am surprised at
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  • 08
    those who expected me to let this rude woman squat on my window seat expecting me to just take it and sit in her middle seat for a 100% full three hour flight. I have been surviving narcissistic bu ies my whole life. Integrity lost was hers, not mine. I
    via NoodlesSpicyHot
  • 09
    wasn't going to be bu ied and she had no supporters from the crowd either. Anyhow, I'm glad folks enjoyed my story. It's obvious we all share similar situations and are very tired of the constant selfishness. Personal accountability, positive moral character and self discipline seem to be rare with too many these days. Safe work and holiday travels to everyone.
    via NoodlesSpicyHot
  • 10
    Ilovethe90sforreal that silence made me uncomfortable at home on my couch ha ha ha
    via Ilovethe90sforreal
  • 11
    hotdoginathermos FAs should carry a bell for just such an occasion, and ring it out while everyone shouts "SHAME!".
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  • 12
    ImprovementFar5054 Last time I had a squatter the people behind me in line started yelling at ME to just take another seat. No way.
    via ImprovementFar5054
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    NoodlesSpicy Hot OP This is why I said what I said with a loud voice, no ambiguity. Kind of a loud middle school teacher voice. No where to go from there other than compliance.
    via NoodlesSpicyHot
  • 14
    joemangle Deciding to take something of someone else's and acting dumb is an egregiously antisocial act and must not be tolerated under any circumstances "An orderly society - if you can keep it"
    via joemangle
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    ComfortableCaptain61 That happened to me recently, except the woman sitting in my seat looked at me with kind of an annoyed expression and asked "Did you want to switch?" No, I want the window seat I paid for. We're not switching, you |
    via ComfortableCaptain61
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    Muschina My prepared line for these interactions is "I paid for THAT seat. You should take either the seat YOU paid for or was randomly assigned to you by the airline".
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  • 17
    Mammoth Pack 6442 Great job. Hopefully, that will be the last time she does that. I don't think I could have remained silent though. She inconvenienced everyone behind you. I hope you had an on-time arrival and none of the other passegets missed connections. That lady is an inconsiderate
    via Mammoth Pack 6442

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insane karens drama stealing flight holiday travel drama holiday travel Travel flights karen thief flying
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