Agatha stopped in the airplane aisle, thoughtfully examining her assigned window seat. A queue of passengers was building up behind her; some grumbled in frustration, others nudged impatiently. However, the young woman needed a few moments to process the situation.
The plane was large, and a seven-hour flight lay ahead. Rows of three seats on each side stretched across thirty rows. Agatha had deliberately chosen a window seat—she couldn’t stand the constant movement of flight attendants pushing carts, children running around, or passengers walking by. Noise didn’t bother her much; years of business trips had taught her to rely on noise-canceling headphones and the distraction of music or books. Tonight, she planned to catch up on sleep, as an important workday awaited her. But her plans, it seemed, were about to be derailed.
On the middle seat, a woman of significant size had already made herself comfortable. She wasn’t colossal, like the participants of reality TV shows, but she wasn’t petite by any stretch. The seatbelt was fastened with extenders, and her body visibly spilled over the confines of a single seat. She sat with her legs spread wide, encroaching on Agatha’s space and that of the future aisle passenger.
“Good evening,” Agatha said politely, pointing to the aisle seat. “Excuse me, is this seat yours too?”
“Mine?” The woman looked confused.
“Yes, the one by the aisle.”
“No, my seat’s in the middle.”
“Ma’am, are you going to sit down?” came an irritated voice from behind.
Agatha stepped aside to let other passengers through, then turned back to her neighbor.
“So, are three of us supposed to sit here?”
“Well, yes,” the woman replied.
Agatha glanced at her neighbor, imagining the next seven hours of cramped discomfort. She sighed and pressed the flight attendant call button. The woman looked at her with suspicion and a slight squint.
“How can I help you?” The approaching flight attendant asked with a polite smile.
“My seat is by the window,” Agatha explained calmly. “We’re flying for seven hours, and I’m afraid it’s going to be very tight here.”
“Hey!” The woman turned red with indignation. “What are you implying, you scrawny little shrimp?”
“I’m not implying anything,” Agatha shrugged. “But perhaps you should have purchased two seats or opted for business class. In this situation, it’s uncomfortable for everyone.”
“Let’s try to resolve this peacefully,” the flight attendant interjected.
“I’d be happy to,” Agatha nodded.
“Unfortunately, there are no free seats left in economy class.”
“That’s unfortunate. Are there other options?” Agatha inquired.
The flight attendant let out a heavy sigh.
“There is one available seat in business class. I could move you there.”
“Her?!” The woman protested. “Why not me?”
“The seats in business class aren’t significantly wider than these,” the flight attendant replied calmly. “And there’s only one seat available. Shall we go?” She addressed Agatha.
“Yes, let’s go. Thank you.”
Under the woman’s angry glare, Agatha followed the flight attendant. Her new seat wasn’t by the window, but a pleasant young man with headphones occupied the adjacent spot.
“What do you do when there are no free seats, but complaints arise?” Agatha asked as she settled in.
“We fly,” the flight attendant replied philosophically. “Although a bit more tensely.”
“Thank you for accommodating me,” Agatha smiled.
“Thank you for not causing a scene.”
“I’m a lawyer. Patience is part of my skillset.”
“We’ll serve drinks after takeoff,” the flight attendant said before leaving.
Agatha stretched her legs, put on her headphones, and opened her e-reader. She felt neither anger nor irritation—just satisfaction that she had managed to assert her boundaries.
“We parted ways amicably,” Agatha thought as she opened a novel. “In today’s body positivity era, I might’ve been attacked for speaking up. But would she have been comfortable spending seven hours like that? I don’t care how much she weighs. But I do care when it physically encroaches on me.”
“We’ll be taking off soon,” the flight attendant reminded. “Please fasten your seatbelt.”
Agatha clicked the buckle and dove into her book.
