Long-haul flights can be uncomfortable without the added factor of confrontation. Unfortunately, one father-daughter duo had to deal with a cramped plane and a child whose parents neglected to control him on top of the discomfort of travel.
An airplane flying against a sunset background | Source: Shutterstock
A few years ago, during a long night flight back from India, a family found themselves embroiled in a conflict with the family sitting behind them. The father and his then-14-year-old daughter were seated in front of a trio: a couple and their son, who was approximately 9 or 10 years old.
The plane ascended into the night sky, but the tranquility of the journey was soon disrupted by the the little boy behind them repetitively kicking the daughter’s chair. Initially, the father addressed the issue with a polite request for the boy to cease his kicking. The boy stopped, but only for a short time before he started again.
An upset child on an airplane | Source: Shutterstock
In a strategic move, the father reclined his seat fully, disturbing the boy’s mother seated behind him. When the mom and her husband protested, seeking the intervention of a flight attendant, she asked if the man wanted to keep his seat reclined. The father responded in the affirmative and the flight attendant confirmed he could do as he pleased.
The couple then exchanged a few whispers, which led to their little boy no longer kicking the young girl’s seat. However, her father kept his seat reclined for an hour so that he could be sure the couple had learned their lesson.
An airplane passenger sleeping in a reclined seat | Source: Shutterstock
Many people were entertained by the story. One person suggested that the father should have waited until the couple had received drinks and then reclined his seat fully, causing the drinks to spill on them.
Another person shared that many people wouldn’t understand how something was impacting others until they were directly impacted by something themselves. The commenter shared that since the couple couldn’t feel their son’s kicks in the chair, they couldn’t care less about how it was affecting someone else. However, when their comfort was compromised, they knew they had to do something.
A frustrated male airplane passenger | Source: Shutterstock
Some people even shared similar stories to the one this poster shared. One woman shared that she had been on a flight on her way back from Egypt when a man was seated behind her. He was indignant that a woman should be sitting in front of him, which led to him aggressively kicking her seat each time she moved.
At one point, the woman leaned back slightly, prompting the man to call a flight attendant over. The man screamed that a woman shouldn’t be allowed into his space. He pushed her seat as hard as possible in an effort to straighten the seat and no longer have it near him.
A sleeping female passenger on a plane | Source: Shutterstock
The flight attendant told the man that the woman was allowed to lean her seat back if she wanted to. The woman’s husband offered to switch seats with her, but she remained steadfast in her resolve to stay in her seat for the seven-hour flight.
Another Reddit user shared that they were 18 when they traveled from the US to the UK. They sat in front of a child who was kicking their chair and causing general discomfort. The traveler politely turned to the child’s mom and asked if she could tell her child to stop kicking the seat.
A mischevious child on a plane | Source: Shutterstock
The child’s mother shrugged and said her child could do what he wanted to do. The commenter replied that they could also do what they wanted and that unless the mother wanted things to get ugly, she should reign her child in. The person said they would embarrass the woman if she did not control her child.
The mother seemed nonplussed, so the traveler stood up and shouted to the plane that they were having an issue with the child. They then asked if anyone else was experiencing the same issue or if the child’s mother just didn’t know how to parent. The woman became enraged, but the person did not care.
A sheepish woman avoiding eye contact | Source: Shutterstock
When the flight was over, the traveler walked into the airport and was greeted by their friends. The mother and her son walked past the group with their heads down, not saying anything.
While these parents didn’t know how to control their children on the plane, one mother was not even allowed to get on the plane with her child. Read the full story here.
This work is inspired by real events and people, but it has been fictionalized for creative purposes. Names, characters, and details have been changed to protect privacy and enhance the narrative. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.
The author and publisher make no claims to the accuracy of events or the portrayal of characters and are not liable for any misinterpretation. This story is provided “as is,” and any opinions expressed are those of the characters and do not reflect the views of the author or publisher.
She Raised His Daughter Alone—His Return After 10 Years Ends in Heartbreak
A man left his young daughter with his mother to start a new life with his wife. When he returns ten years later, he’s shocked to find both his mother and daughter gone, with no sign of where they went.
Doris Dakkar had been a single mother to her son, Nicholas, after her husband left when Nicholas was seven. Life had been tough, but Doris worked two jobs to make sure Nicholas had everything he needed.
At that time, Doris was only thirty. She never thought she’d be raising a child alone again at sixty, nor did she expect Nicholas would abandon his own daughter, just like his father did.
Nicholas had married a wonderful woman named Sandra, but sadly, she passed away when their daughter, Paige, was nine years old. Shortly after Sandra’s death, Nicholas started a relationship with a woman named Donna and married her within six months. Doris, his mother, believed that Nicholas was just lonely.
Doris noticed that Paige, who used to be a happy and playful child, became quiet and withdrawn. Doris thought it was because Paige was grieving her mother’s death. She still believed her son was a good man, but that changed soon.
Selfish people don’t care about others’ happiness.
The summer Paige turned ten, Nicholas asked Doris if she could look after Paige for three weeks while he and Donna went on a vacation to Alaska.
“Every couple needs time alone, Mom,” Nicholas said. “Paige has been difficult lately… She doesn’t like Donna.”
Doris was surprised but agreed. “Alright, Nicky. A break might help all of you. But Donna knew you had a daughter when she married you. A grown woman should be able to handle a ten-year-old who is still trying to cope with her mother’s death and her father’s quick remarriage.”
Nicholas turned red with anger. “I should’ve known you’d take Paige’s side!” he shouted. “Donna makes me happy, and that’s all that matters!”
“I thought someone had to be on Paige’s side, and I’m surprised it’s not her father,” Doris replied. “Making your daughter happy should make you happy, too!”
Nicholas stormed out, but when he returned a week later to drop off Paige, he seemed like his usual self. He kissed Paige goodbye and hugged Doris.
“I’ll be back on August 27, Mom,” he said, then drove off, waving happily.
But August 27 came and went, and Nicholas never returned. Doris tried calling him, only to discover his number had been disconnected. He hadn’t called his daughter since he left, but sometimes replied to her text messages.
Now, it seemed he had disappeared. Doris found out that the house Nicholas and Sandra owned had been sold. He was gone.
He had abandoned his daughter with his elderly mother, showing no concern for her.
Doris sat down with Paige and reassured her, “We’ll be okay, you and I. Don’t worry. I’ll take care of you. I love you, and one day, your father will regret what he’s done.”
Ten years later, Nicholas returned to his mother’s house. He was shocked to see the house looked abandoned, with an overgrown garden and boarded-up windows.
He knocked on a neighbor’s door. The woman seemed surprised to see him and hesitated to give him Paige’s new address. She looked at his shabby clothes and rusty car.
“Paige is married now, and Doris lives with her. I wouldn’t expect a warm welcome after what you did,” she said coldly.
Nicholas didn’t respond and walked away, confident he could charm his mother.
When he arrived at Paige’s new address, he was stunned. It was a luxurious mansion. He rang the doorbell and told the maid, “I’m here to see Doris or Paige Dakkar.”
The maid corrected him, “You mean Mrs. Dakkar or Mrs. Henderson,” and led him to a grand sitting room.
A few minutes later, Paige walked in. She looked at him silently, showing no surprise. Nicholas guessed the neighbor had warned them he was coming.
“Paige, my baby,” Nicholas said, stepping forward to hug the beautiful young woman his daughter had become.
“What do you want, father?” she asked calmly, without anger.
“I wanted to see you and Grandma Doris. I’ve missed you both so much,” Nicholas said, forcing a smile.
Doris walked in then, looking calm and younger than her age. “Nicholas, why are you here?” she asked.
“I came to see my family,” Nicholas said, raising his voice. “I was hoping for a warm welcome!”
“You abandoned me, father,” Paige said coldly. “Did you really expect a warm welcome?”
“It wasn’t my fault,” Nicholas whined. “Donna said she’d leave me if I didn’t go with her.”
Doris smirked. “But Donna’s not here now. Did she leave when the money ran out?”
Nicholas glanced around the room enviously. “You seem to be doing well. I’m unemployed and struggling. Can’t you help me out?”
“I’m surprised you’d ask for help after abandoning us,” Paige said. “But for Grandma Doris’s sake, I’ll help.”
Paige went to a fancy desk, unlocked a drawer, and took out an envelope and a set of keys. “These are the keys to the old house, and there’s $5,000 in here. Don’t come back asking for more.”
Paige hugged Doris and walked out of the room. Moments later, the maid arrived and escorted Nicholas out before he could take anything valuable.
Nicholas sat in his car outside the mansion for a long time. “I did what I had to do,” he muttered. “Why can’t anyone understand how much I’ve suffered? There’s no gratitude in this world…”
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