A fellow flyer has shared a story about a plane passenger who thought they could get away with demanding early boarding and then breaking protocol once on board. This incident serves as a reminder of the importance of following airline rules and proper etiquette.

"Justice Served - A Lesson in Airplane Etiquette"

Boarding Gate Incident

On Tuesday, December 17, a traveler was flying from Pittsburgh to Chicago. At the boarding gate, the Original Poster (OP) witnessed a man claim to need special assistance due to a knee injury and was approved to board. However, instead of taking a seat in an appropriate location, he sat in an exit row seat. As wrathofthefonz pointed out on Reddit, if he had just had knee surgery, he couldn't sit in the exit row as he would need to be ready to assist in case of an emergency. When the flight attendant confronted him about this, the passenger initially changed his story and insisted he was fine and could sit in the exit row after all. But in the end, the gate attendant stuck to the rules and made the passenger relocate. His wife remained in her original seat in the exit row, while he was given a middle seat in the back.This incident highlights the importance of following airline regulations. According to the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) official site, one must be physically capable and willing to perform emergency actions when seated in emergency or exit rows. If not, one should ask for another seat.

Passenger Reactions

Other redditors took to the comments to express their views on the ordeal. One user praised the gate agent for enforcing the rules, saying "Good on the GA [gate agent] for enforcing rules." Another commented that the gate agent "earned her wings that day." A third user congratulated the gate agent on their win. One user even shared a similar experience involving a tall elderly man who tried to preboard as handicapped but was told they couldn't sit in an exit row.This shows that passengers recognize the importance of following rules and appreciate when flight crew members take a firm stance.

Expert Advice

The redditor who shared the original story chose not to get involved in the disagreement and let the flight crew do their job. Travel expert, writer and advisor Nicole Campoy Jackson believes this was the right move. She previously offered PEOPLE valuable advice about proper etiquette when it comes to swapping seats and urges travelers to always communicate with a flight attendant rather than taking a dispute into their own hands."When tensions run high during travel, flight attendants have more context and may be able to find a better solution," she said. "It's always best to let them handle in-flight situations."This emphasizes the importance of trusting the expertise of flight crew members and allowing them to handle difficult situations.