An etiquette expert has criticized airline passengers for turning on music or watching TV without headphones.
Nick Leighton regularly speaks in his podcast about manners and how to tackle everyday topics and actions with grace and class. Were you raised by wolves?
Recently, the California-based professional — who teaches people how to smoothly navigate any situation — detailed what to do if a fellow traveler starts disrupting your peaceful flight with his movie or music.
He has revived the ongoing debate over airplane etiquette – just weeks after one airline passenger drew outrage for putting her feet on a fellow traveler’s seat and another admitted to wearing her seatbelt around her ankles – by lifting the lid on why it is crucial for travelers to follow rules regarding aircraft behavior.
Nick Leighton has criticized airline passengers for turning on music or watching TV without headphones
Nick talked about the problem with USA today. He told the outlet, “We live our lives through screens and when we do, we become less aware of the real world around us.
‘Our feeds are about us and what we do. As a result, we forget that we are not always the main character in every situation.’
Nick explained that while people being “inconsiderate” isn’t a “new behavior,” it is still something that can make you angry.
He noted that people often forget that taking up someone’s auditory space is still considered rude.
This practice is not only frustrating for others, but also tears society apart, according to Nick.
He told the newspaper: “They need to know that they are tearing apart the fabric of society, and they need to stop.
‘No one is going to die, this is not catastrophic, but it is corrosive. It is the rust on the machinery that makes society function, and at some point the machine will break down.
“We don’t want to live in a lawless, etiquette-free society, that’s not a world we want to live in, and that’s why it’s important that everyone does their part.”
Recently, the California-based professional detailed what to do if a fellow traveler starts disrupting your peaceful flight with his movie or music (stock image)
In addition to tearing apart the “fabric of society,” the expert branded the practice of blasting music or turning up the volume of your movie while on a plane as “disrespectful.”
He then revealed how to handle the situation in the hopes that the annoying passenger will start using headphones.
Nick explained that while you may want to stop the music, keep in mind that this person is on the same plane as you – and could even be sitting next to you.
And besides, to stay within good etiquette practices, the pro said if the passenger refuses, just cut your losses.
‘On an airplane you have to sit next to someone for hours, we don’t want to end up on the bad side from minute one.
“In the etiquette world, we make one request, and it’s not a negotiation… If they say no, I’m not going to pursue it further. That’s not the hill I’ll die on.’ he added.
He said that when you make a request, you should do it in a polite and neutral tone.
If the traveler refuses, you can subtly ask a flight attendant for help.
This isn’t the first time pilots have discussed airplane etiquette.
Just a month ago, a frequent flyer caused a stir after demonstrating a “dangerous” travel hack that involved wearing her seatbelt around her ankles in an attempt to be “more comfortable” during her flight.
In the past, many passengers have also wondered whether you should change seats while traveling.
In December, a frequent flyer issued a PSA to fellow travelers about changing seats after experiencing a nightmare involving having to move five times when he reluctantly gave up his seat to another passenger.
The unidentified man took to Reddit to share his seat swap story that “forever changed my mind about ever being nice and trading seats with someone.”
Another frequent flyer previously revealed she refused to swap her window seat with an ‘entitled’ passenger who wanted to sit next to his wife.
The unnamed woman took to Reddit to share how she refused to move to a middle seat on an 11-hour flight from New York to Cairo, Egypt, so that the man sitting next to her could sit next to his wife.
The anonymous woman shared her story on the social media platform as a way to rant about the man under a thread captioned: ‘TitledPeople,” prompting others online to condemn the man for asking someone else to switch to a lower-quality seat so he could be happy.
The denial comes months after a man sparked a furious debate when he refused to give up his first class seat for his boss, despite using his own credit card points to do so.
In the past, DailyMail.com’s Jaci Stephen even gave her opinion, confessing that she “absolutely refuses” to switch seats, no matter how angry the passenger who wants to switch may get.