Passenger Takes Selfie On Airplane With Flight Attendant in the Background, Airline Employee Takes His Phone to Delete The Photo

Emmy Pratt • Writer and Editor

Jun 23, 2026 12:30 PM EDT

Was the airline being over-the-top about this?

I wonder how many pictures are out there that feature me in the background. I know for a fact that I am a background character in so many photos, not only because I live in New York City and am around big groups of people all the time, but because I've seen it happen! I try not to make a face when someone in front of me at a baseball game takes a selfie, but sometimes I just can't help it! The knowledge that I am being captured inspires me to pose!

Not everyone is as comfortable as I am with being in the background of strangers' selfies. It's scary to know that you might be making an ugly face in a photo you'll never see. Worse of all, the people in possession of said photo might zoom in on your face and laugh at it! The horror!

In some countries, it is illegal to take pictures of people in public without their permission. In Japan, you might have your phone's camera shutter sound on to alert those around you when you are taking a picture. Such a policy would never take off in the United States, because taking photos of strangers looking silly is about as central to American identity as hot dogs and fireworks.

The passenger in this story was confused when an airline employee took his phone to delete a selfie that he had taken with a flight attendant in the background. It's hard to say whether the photo was taken in a country where this is illegal, or if this employee was particularly invasive.

via Austin Distel

_{A model of an airline passenger taking a selfie while looking out of the airplane window, excitedly thinking about his trip.}
I took a selfie with a flight attendant in the background. Am I the bad guy?

via u/The_Average_Man_
via u/The_Average_Man_
via Andrej Lišakov (Unsplash+)

_{A representation of a flight attendant closing the airplane door, looking back at a passenger who just took a selfie with her in the background.}
via u/The_Average_Man_
via u/The_Average_Man_
via u/The_Average_Man_
via u/The_Average_Man_
via u/The_Average_Man_
via u/The_Average_Man_
via u/The_Average_Man_
via u/jenx4848
via Wael Hneini

_{In the city of Dubai, United Arab Emirates, it is illegal to take someone's picture without their expressed permission, even if it's an accident.}
via u/Hairy-Proof8504
via u/SFLoridan
via u/Exportxxx
via u/alg45160
via u/Debsrugs