A passenger was blocking the aisle with her smelly foot, but I managed to teach her a lesson — and the whole cabin applauded me
Right after takeoff, she took off her shoes, put one foot on the empty seat next to her, and the other straight into the aisle. Her foot was blocking everyone who wanted to go to the bathroom or just stretch their legs. At first, people politely asked her to move it, but only got nasty looks and annoyed hissing in return.
Then she started deliberately ignoring the requests. One man trying to pass got a loud reply:
— What, can’t you go around?!
But going around was impossible — she had stretched herself out as if she wanted to claim the entire row. The worst part was the strong smell from her foot. So pungent that a woman across the aisle hid behind her scarf, and a child behind me asked his mother:
— Mom, why does it smell like someone never changes their socks?..
I pressed the call button for the flight attendant.
— Excuse me, — I said, — this passenger is blocking the aisle and refuses to move her foot. Maybe she should pay for this seat, since she’s using it?
The flight attendant politely but firmly told her off. The woman rolled her eyes and muttered:
— But I’m not sitting here. I’m not going to pay. I have rights.
Then the passenger next to her, who had heard everything, spoke up:
— No, no, you can’t just take someone else’s seat like that. We can make the payment official. I can record it if she refuses.
The woman turned pale. The flight attendant took the opportunity to call the purser.
In the end, she really had to pay for the extra seat, officially, at the current rate. It was almost as much as her own ticket. After that, she finally sat normally.
When the flight attendant left, there was a polite round of applause from the back of the cabin. People smiled and exchanged looks, and the woman across from me quietly said:
— Thank you. I was losing my patience too.
