Couples who’re demonstrably in love can elicit many reactions: from the indulgently bemused to annoyed exasperation. No matter how much in love you are, traveling, as romantic as it can be, is also a time to consider others, especially when it comes to expediency and hydration.
At least that’s the position one flight attendant is taking. Over a caption that read, “strange flex but okay,” TikTok creator Savannah (@savannah0191) details the oddly specific case of a couple who refused to stop holding hands so the beverage cart could pass through.
The video, which has been watched over 778,000 times, kicks off with the creator setting the scene. “I’m on the beverage cart, and there’s this couple holding hands across the aisle,” she said.
So in her professional role, Savannah greeted them, “Hey, good morning,” she said. Then asked if she could “just squeeze by.” And that’s when things get cloying: the couple replied, “Well, we can not let go,” Savannah recalled. But she’s still got a 200 pound cart she’s got to roll down the aisle in order to do her job.
She didn’t understand how this is even possible, and thought to herself, “Y’all need to stand up and let my cart go underneath you,” she said. “Am I about to play London Bridges,” she joked.
The couple then tried to explain themselves, “Yeah, we do this all the time and everyone’s so accommodating, and we’ve never had to let go,” they said.
Savannah then had to explain to the couple that both she and the cart need to get by. And since at 5’3″ she’s not that much taller than the cart itself, they could put their hands over her head as she walks by.
Savannah didn’t respond to a direct message sent via TikTok.
After the explanation, the couple finally stood up, from seats C and D, held their hands up, and Savannah and her fellow crew member passed beneath them.
People could not believe the audacity.
As Amanda noted, “What in the kindergarten hell?”
Other users had less patience for the love birds, “No fly list for intentionally blocking flight crew operations [steaming angry emoji],” wrote E90alex.
Some, like Emschick9 plotted instant karmic retribution, “As a passenger I would get up and make so many trips to the bathroom just to make them get up.”
While SoxPatsBruinsCsFan suggested letting peer pressure take its course: “This is when you make an announcement apologizing to the whole plane that drink service is being suspended because passengers continue to block the aisle and the cart cannot get through—once they stop blocking the aisle, cart service can resume.”
People that crowd the aisle as soon as it’s okay to stand up are referred to as “aisle lice.” And though there’s no equally descriptive phrase for people who block the aisle in-flight, it is generally against the rules to even partially block it.
This is because items in the way can interfere with people moving about the plane, create a tripping hazard, or even get in the way in the rare case of an evacuation. But when it comes to arms and legs, most passengers know that common sense and etiquette say to just move out of the way.
So why would a couple book adjacent seats across the aisle from one another instead of side-by-side? Simple: because no one wants to be squeezed into the middle seat. Sitting across the aisle from one another still lets you travel together , but doesn’t leave either party in the arguably most uncomfortable seat of all.
If you use this travel hack, remember that manners matter in stressful and crowded situations. And if you’re into marathon hand-holding sessions, at least plan to let go of your sweetheart’s hand long enough that everyone else can get their mid-flight snacks.
@savannah0191 strange flex but ok
♬ original sound – Savannah
