Woman Says She’s ‘Not A Villain’ For Refusing To Give Up First-Class Seat To Family Who Wanted To Sit Together

Oct 28, 2022 by apost team

You’ve probably heard countless stories about passengers asking to switch seats to a person seated next to them. And if you’re a frequent traveler, chances are you’ve experienced it yourself. While some people might find it a selfish move if you refuse to switch seats with the person next to you, other people must understand that people choose seats for a reason.

Whether it is for their own convenience or because they want to be seated next to their family members, people must always show respect to the other person.

If it’s a first-class seat that you paid for in full, it’s totally understandable if you refuse to switch seats with the person next to you, much less move to another aisle and exchange seats simply because the person behind you wants to.

For a woman named Maresa Friedman, it’s simply not an option to give up her seat — and most people agree with her.

Friedman shared her story on TikTok where she stressed that she’s not in the wrong for opting to keep her seat.

“I am not a villain for not moving from the seat in first class I paid full fare for,” Friedman said.

Hinting that the person who asked her to switch seats was also a parent, she said, “I’m also a mom so it’s called planning ahead.”  

She then shared a series of videos including one with text that read, “When (an) entitled person wants to switch seats.”

When Friedman got to her hotel, she decided to share her story with another TikTok video. Apparently, one person asked to switch seats with her so their family could sit together. First, she made a caveat:

“If you didn't plan ahead, and yeah the airline bumps you or moves you or whatever, totally fair,” she said.

She continued specifically about the incident that motivated her to make the video in the first place. “So the suggestion I gave was basically like, ‘Oh if all of you want to sit in together, in a row, since first class is two seats and two seats, I'm sure you could ask the people behind you. I think they would be super pumped to sit so that the three of you could be together,’” she added. 

After she offered the suggestion, Friedman said she received a "side eye" from the mom. Friedman went on to explain that she has two kids herself and had “been there” before, suggesting that parents should buy their kids' tickets, too.

“Before you come for me, I have two kids, so I have been there, even in the early stages and I would buy my baby a seat next to me, but when you book with the airlines, you have to tell them to book your reservations together and that you're traveling with a minor. That way, when they are looking to bump people they make sure to set you next to one another,” she said.

Most people on TikTok agreed with her, seconding her stand on not switching seats.

“I don’t give up my seat anywhere ever on a plane. I reserved it early enough to get what I wanted. Your loss if you didn’t,” one person commented.

Another user added: “Thank you! As a child-free person I get shamed for not moving. I paid full price. I’m not moving."

While a lot of people agreed with her, there were also those who didn’t. Some people even called her “not compassionate” and “elitist.” So, she addressed this in yet another TikTok and revealed that she has a disability, although she did not go into details.

apost.com

Do you agree with Maresa Friedman’s decision not to give up her seat? Let us know your thoughts and pass this on to anyone who might find this story interesting!