Tammy Nelson was caught in a tricky situation when a mother decided to take her seat without asking and then had the nerve to complain when Tammy refused to switch seats.
After little sleep and with a presentation for 500 people looming, Tammy was desperate for some shut-eye during her flight.
She decided to share her ordeal on TikTok, and it quickly caught fire.
The whole drama unfolded on a flight from Cincinnati, Ohio, to San Jose, California.
The mother, without asking, sat in Tammy’s seat.
This prompted Tammy to double-check her boarding pass and then politely inform the mother that she was, in fact, sitting in her seat.
The mother actually seemed shocked and asked Tammy if she actually wanted to sit there, to which Tammy, quite understandably, said yes.
Tammy explained in her video:
“She said, ‘Oh, you want to sit here? I thought we could switch because these are my kids’ (she points to the two seats next to mine).”
The mother then gestured towards her two children, aged 11 and 15, and suggested to Tammy that they could switch seats.
Tammy was open to the idea, provided it was a window seat, as she suffers from motion sickness during takeoff and landing if she can’t see outside.
Unfortunately, the seat the mother was offering was the dreaded middle seat, which Tammy couldn’t accept due to her condition.
Tammy was also running on 90 minutes of sleep, so planned on catching up on her zzzs before having to give a huge presentation.
Although the mother eventually returned to her original seat, she made sure to voice her complaints loudly to a nearby passenger.
However, this passenger sided with Tammy, advising the mother to plan ahead and speak with the airline or gate agent to ensure her family could sit together.
Tammy told Newsweek:
“As the woman kept complaining, the stranger also added that it wasn’t really reasonable to ask someone to switch seats when, oftentimes, those seats were selected way in advance and, many times, the person even has paid extra for their selected seat.”
@myconquering Having had only 90 minutes of sleep the night before and knowing I had to give a presentation to 500 people, I desperately needed some sleep, so I did not agree to switch seats. 🤷♀️ Before anyone comes after me… the kids looked like they were about 11 and 15 years old. And the mom was in arms-reach of both of them from the middle seat in the row behind us. The mom proceeded to complain for at least 15 minutes to the person next to her loud enough for me to hear. But the woman actually defended me – several times. It was so kind and I appreciated it so much because I was feeling really guilty. 🤦♀️ ##airplaneseat##seatswitching##airplanekarens ♬ original sound – MyCONQUERing
Tammy’s TikTok recounting the incident went viral, amassing over 4.9 million views and a wave of support from fellow TikTokers.
One user noted how astonishing it is that many families don’t pay to select their seats together and commended Tammy for standing her ground.
Another user, a parent themselves, expressed disbelief at the audacity of some people and stated they would never make such an assumption.
Someone else wrote:
“People plan on where they sit. If you can’t plan ahead that’s on you. Good for you for sticking up for yourself!”
Another commented:
“Nope, nope and nope. Only ask if you’re offering a better seat and a drink”
While the topic sparks an interesting debate, Tammy’s video seems to have more people supporting her decision to not give up her seat.
Tammy, who’s a mom herself, told GMA:
“Certainly, if they were toddlers, I would have switched and I would have put my own needs aside and let this mom be by these little kids.”
Tammy offered advice for anyone facing a similar situation: be kind, consider the request, but ultimately trust your instincts and stand your ground.
She emphasized that one person’s lack of planning should not inconvenience others.
The incident is a good reminder of the necessity of planning ahead and communicating with airline staff to ensure your family can sit together.
It also highlights the importance of respecting other passengers’ needs and not presuming they will be willing to switch seats.
So, which side of the fence are you on?
Watch the video below to hear Tammy talk about what happened that day on the plane!
Please SHARE this with your friends and family.
