even nice people have their limits

the other day, Mr Mega paid me a very generous compliment, saying i was a nice person. i try very hard to be a nice person, and i like to think that most of the time i succeed.

and then situations like these arise:

so last night, i was flying home from my California Thanksgiving vacation. i board the plane & there is this woman in my seat.

let me preface the remainder of the story by saying: i always try to get an aisle seat because when the plane lands, i want *off*. now.

so i tell her, politely, that she is in my seat. she says she's not, that it's *her* seat. well, i know what my boarding pass says & i show it to her & say "that is *my* seat." she starts to kick up a fuss, but then she sees a flight attendant coming toward us to see what's going on, so she moves over into the middle seat.

then she starts whining to me that she *needs* the aisle seat because she gets so dizzy. well, too bad! then you should have picked an aisle seat when you purchased the ticket! *i* picked an aisle seat specifically & *that* is where i am sitting. so she huffs & puffs & rubs her temples & heaves these giant sighs. all the while, muttering under her breath that she gets dizzy. i was reminded of the tactics used by the children i have worked with. so, just like i did then, i tuned her out, because this little drama scene was foolish. i close my eyes & start to fall asleep.

just as i am almost out, she nudges me & says she needs to get out because she's dizzy & needs to use the bathroom.

SIX TIMES she does this. every time i start to drift off.

i am no dummy. i know what she's doing. she's trying to aggravate me to the point that i just give her my seat so she'll leave me alone. well, what she doesn't realize is that i had a glass & a half of wine right before we left for the airport. so, i promptly fall asleep every single time i sit back down. =P

finally she just gives in & leaves me alone. i don't know if she figured her plot to annoy me wasn't going to be successful or if she went to sleep or what. i vaguely remember there being some mild turbulence & the seat belt light coming on, so maybe she was forced to stop disturbing me. but I was asleep, so I don't know why she finally abandoned the bathroom plan.

the flight was scheduled to land at 6:10am. at 5am, i am woken up when she whacks me on the arm & asks "how much longer is this flight?" excuse me?! look at your boarding pass. ring for a flight attendant. ask someone who is awake. LEAVE ME ALONE.

now if you know me at all, you know that i am very non-confrontational. i am soft spoken & will often go out of my way to avoid a conflict. i will grin & bear whatever is inflicted on me. my theory is that working with infants & toddlers for five years developed not only my immune system but my ability to be eternally patient. but i've got to tell you, even i have my limits.

i opened one eye, looked at her & said "please do not touch me again," then went back to sleep. but not before hearing the guy across the aisle from me, who must have been watching this all unfold since i first boarded the plane, totally choke back a laugh when i told her that.

i wish i could understand why some people feel the need to be so inconsiderate. and not only that, but will go to all lengths just to be an annoyance. four-year-olds pester. by *forty*, we should be past that stage. at any rate, i was *not* giving up my seat, and if that makes me a slightly less nice person? i can live with it.