Tag Archives: travel

Can I use your leg space?

As usual, the morning flight from Toronto to Vancouver is packed. Since most travelers flying this route are frequent fliers, many of them only take a huge hand carry suitcase instead of a check-in luggage to avoid the wait at the baggage claim. The flight is full and everyone is carrying hand carries, there is not enough overhead luggage space for everyone. I am lucky that I board the plane not too late, I am able to find a empty space two rows behind my seat. The guy sits next to me is not so fortunate, he could not find any overhead luggage space for his huge bag.

According to the airline regulation, luggage does not fit the overhead space should store underneath the seat in front of you. Putting your luggage there means you cannot stretch your leg. The leg space in economy class is not quite uncomfortable, having to bend your knees for a 5 hours flight is like a torture. I was sitting on a window seats, the poor guy who cannot find overhead luggage space was sitting in the middle. Maybe he thinks I don’t have legs, he asked me whether he can put his luggage in my leg space. Duh! Why would I want to suffer for 5 hours and let him use my leg space. I said NO to him, then he tried to squeeze his luggage into his leg space for a while and then he asked again! I already rejected him once, what makes him think I would suddenly change my mind? He was testing my patient, but I still politely told him to fxxk off. At the end he managed to curl up his legs and fit his luggage into his leg space. I bet he should learn the lesson and check in his luggage next time.

What really puzzle me is why he even bother to ask in the first place. Is he dumb or what? How can he be so inconsiderate and simply ask other people to sacrifice for him. Does he really expect me to say yes and have to curl up my legs for 5 hours? My first reaction was wanted to shot back at him saying “why would I want to give you my leg space?”, but I have good EQ today so I manage to turn him down politely with a straight face.