This past weekend, somewhere in the midst of a mindless scroll, I was served a TikTok that billed itself as a travel “hack.” But it was, in reality, just two people being assholes on a Southwest flight to parts unknown. In the since-deleted video, a man feigns some kind of psychotic episode to deter fellow passengers from taking the middle seat between him and his travel companion — who, naturally, is filming the entire charade while laughing.
And this wasn’t an isolated incident. There’s a growing genre of this kind of content: travelers inventing increasingly absurd ways to scare, confuse or guilt people out of sitting in their row — particularly on Southwest, the airline best known (and sometimes loathed) for its open seating policy. (Though that’s set to change soon, as assigned seating is set to roll out next year.) In 2023, a woman made headlines for her “flirtatious” method of keeping a Southwest row to herself. More recently, two sisters went viral for draping a hoodie over a backpack to mimic a sleeping passenger between them. The New York Post called it hilarious.
And I get it — it’s meant to be funny. But here’s the thing: It’s not. It’s fucking annoying.
First off, we all know the uniquely stressful experience of stepping onto a packed plane, train or bus and scanning for that one open seat. I understand that these clout-chasers probably aren’t pulling these stunts on fully booked flights — but even so, no one wants the middle seat. If someone’s inquiring about it, it’s probably because they don’t have a better option. (And when they do ask to sit there and are inevitably told to take the aisle instead, they aren’t exactly the victors. Now, they’re stuck next to two people doing bits for TikTok.)
Moreover, if you’re so opposed to sitting next to a stranger, here’s an idea: Don’t fly Southwest. Book an airline that lets you select your seat in advance. Some even let you buy an empty middle seat too if you feel that strongly about securing your own little fiefdom! Yes, Southwest fares are cheap, but part of what you’re paying for is open seating. These are the terms. You can’t fly Spirit and then act surprised when they charge you for water.
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Gifts for every type of father imaginableAgain, I know this is all supposed to be lighthearted. And in the grand scheme of things, it’s mostly harmless. But any prank that makes travel more stressful or uncomfortable for other people — especially in an already soul-sucking environment like modern air travel — is just unnecessary.
And, more importantly, we really need to stop dressing up bad behavior as “travel hacks.” Remember the summer of 2022 when able-bodied travelers started requesting wheelchairs just to bypass TSA lines? The middle seat stunt isn’t nearly that egregious, but the principle is the same. These aren’t hacks — they’re just low-effort, high-annoyance schemes at other people’s expense.
And frankly, it’s really easy not to be that person.
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