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'Felt unsafe even in the sky’: Woman’s mid-flight video sparks discussion on passenger behaviour
The video, shared on Instagram by Urvi Kothari, shows her seated on a flight while a man behind her repeatedly places his hand on her seat.
A content creator’s video describing an uncomfortable in-flight experience has sparked a discussion online, after she said a co-passenger’s actions left her feeling uneasy despite alerting the cabin crew.
The video, shared on Instagram by Urvi Kothari, shows her seated on a flight while a man behind her repeatedly places his hand on her seat. She alleged that the behaviour continued even after airline staff intervened and spoke to the passenger.
In the comments section, Kothari further detailed the sequence of events. She said she informed the crew, who addressed the issue, but the man allegedly did not stop. She realised he was still touching the seat when he made contact again.
She further claimed the situation escalated when the passenger placed his feet on her armrest, forcing her to sit uncomfortably. “This is not done. I changed my seat,” she wrote, adding that she had to adjust herself to a “half seat” before moving.
“This is why women are always alert. Even on a plane,” Kothari wrote in the caption of the post.
HT.com has reached out to Urvi Kothari. The article will be updated once a response is received.
Social media reactions
The video quickly went viral, drawing a wide range of reactions on social media. Many users criticised the alleged behaviour, calling it inappropriate.
“This behavior from that man is completely unacceptable, particularly because he continued despite being warned by the crew,” one user wrote.
“People saying take action instead of recording but honestly when something like this happens to you your body just freezes. It’s not that we don’t want to fight back the fear hits so hard that confidence and courage disappear in that moment. Instead of blaming the victim we should focus on stopping those who do such disgusting acts and creating a space where victims feel safe to react,” commented another.
“I know that feeling of discomfort...next time just tell him very loudly to keep his hands and feet to himself,” suggested a third user.
“I’m genuinely proud of you for having the courage to speak up. What he did is absolutely wrong and it takes real strength to put something like this out there. I have nothing but respect for you and as a man, I’m truly sorry that you had to go through this,” wrote one user.
However, some users suggested that the act may not have been intentional.
One user said, “Are yrr....he's not doing this intentionally...may be it's his first time....he's simple holding the seat...If this makes you uncomfortable you can ask him to remove his hand....simple...don't create everything According to your convenience.”
“It could be an old age women or man with first time aeroplane experience just trying to be comfortable,” commented another.
“Maybe the person behind is scared of height... I can't believe I live in such society where people post anything just for fame,” wrote a third user.
