Traveling is not everyone’s favorite pastime, especially flying, but fortunately, there are things people can do to make themselves more comfortable for the trip.
But making themselves comfortable shouldn’t necessarily come at the cost of other people’s comfort, pointed out the “Am I the A**hole?” (AITA) subReddit.
Worried about becoming dehydrated, Redditor Salt-Explained1365 drank enough water to have to go to the restroom four times while on their flight, disrupting their seatmate.
When their frequent disruption led to an argument, the Original Poster (OP) wondered if they were being inconsiderate of their fellow flyers.
They asked the sub:
“AITA for using the bathroom frequently on a flight?”
The OP had a plan to take care of themselves during their flight.
“Recently I flew home for the holidays. The flight was three hours long.”
“I read that you dehydrate twice as fast on a plane as you do elsewhere, so I packed two 40oz water bottles and planned to drink both of them over the course of the flight (should note I’m a pretty big person and an athlete).”
“I booked a middle seat because I’m on a budget and I also don’t particularly care about the aisle/window.”
The OP’s plan didn’t work for their seatmate, however.
“I used the bathroom four times over the course of the flight.”
“Each time, the person sitting in the aisle got progressively annoyed. She was sleeping and I woke her up each time.”
“She would sigh, groan, roll her eyes, etc., whenever I got up.”
“When I used the bathroom for the third time, she asked me if I could try to hold it for the remainder of the flight so she could sleep. (I should mention it was 4 PM and there was no time change involved.)”
“I didn’t take her request too seriously and continued to drink water.”
This led to an argument mid-flight.
“When I got up for the fourth time, she told me I was rude for not following her request.”
“I told her it was either that, dehydrate, or wet myself, and going to the bathroom seemed like the best option.”
“She told me no one needs to drink enough water to pee four times in less than three hours unless they have a bladder issue.”
“She then asked me if I had a bladder issue, and I said no, not that that’s your business.”
“I asked if she wanted to switch seats so I didn’t have to climb over her, but she refused.”
People were divided on the situation.
“She kept pressing me, and I suggested that we flag down a flight attendant because I didn’t feel comfortable resolving this on my own.”
“The flight attendant sided with me, but at home, my family had some disagreements.”
“Some said I did nothing wrong, and that I have the right to drink water and I’m not breaking rules.”
“Others said it was discourteous to drink that much water during a flight and that I should be able to hold it, especially if the person on the aisle is sleeping.”
“So I’m wondering if the people of Reddit think I’m TA or not?”
Fellow Redditors weighed in:
- NTA: Not the A**hole
- YTA: You’re the A**hole
- ESH: Everybody Sucks Here
- NAH: No A**holes Here
Some told the OP that they wouldn’t become dehydrated after only three hours.
“YTA.”
“If you want to pee 15 times, then book the aisle seat!”
“Anyone who has to wake people or climb over people should not drink enough water to pee ten times in three hours. So rude!”
“I would honestly report you to Airline Authorities for suspicious behavior and ensure you get a nice strip search for acting in such a way!” – LetsGetsThisPartyOn
“YTA.”
“Technically you’re right, and the person has to move to let you through. However, plane etiquette requires that seatmates try to minimize the number of times they get up and generally be considerate. You did the opposite of that, thus acting in bad faith.”
“However, you also say you’re a big guy in a middle seat, so this looks an awful lot like you were trying to be annoying to the point of forcing your seatmate to trade with you. Next time pay for an aisle instead of passive-aggressively trying to bully your neighbor to give you theirs.” – veni_vidi_dixi
“YTA. I avoid drinking water when I fly because I think airplane/airport bathrooms are gross and I want to avoid using them.”
“Not drinking water for a few hours one day won’t hurt you. You won’t be ‘dehydrated,’ and if you’re really THAT worried about being dehydrated, you should’ve booked an aisle seat so you wouldn’t be such an inconvenience to everyone around you.” – scorpionmittens
“YTA. Three hours on a plane isn’t going to dehydrate you enough to harm you. If you plan on doing this on your next flight, pay for the aisle seat or get ready to have another p**sed-off seatmate.”
“Also, as far as her wanting to sleep, it doesn’t matter what time of day it is. Some people don’t fly well, and they sleep to help get through the flight.” – AgentAlpo
“I drink a ridiculous amount of liquid per day, because I have some problems with my throat, and drinking as much as I do is kinda necessary to keep breathing decently.”
“I also have MS (Multiple Sclerosis), which means the urge to go to the bathroom can hit fast. Despite these factors, this would have been excessive even for me! I’d make sure I have an aisle seat though.” – DragonCelica
“With my chronic migraines, I have to drink a ton of water. And like you, I pee very frequently (and with sudden urgency). So I definitely pay for an aisle when I have to fly!”
“I can’t even begin to fathom disturbing someone 4 times in 3 hours, especially considering at least 40 minutes of that time was during the ‘fasten seatbelt’ periods at takeoff/landing. That is so incredibly inconsiderate! Very much YTA, OP.” – BellaLeigh43
“Who cares if you’re slightly dehydrated on a three-hour flight? It doesn’t affect your health at all, especially if you rehydrate after you land.”
“And she’s right, nobody needs to be drinking 80oz of water on a flight where all you’re doing is sitting or going to the bathroom. Less than half of that would keep you plenty hydrated.”
“YTA for being inconsiderate to your seatmate based on some irrational aversion to being slightly dehydrated.” – superswellcewlguy
Others took issue with how both people handled the situation.
“ESH. Aisle seats should expect to be disturbed, but four times in three hours is ridiculous.” – sekhenet
“To those saying the OP disturbed their seatmate four times, it’s actually EIGHT times, because he will sit down again.”
“That said, I think ESH. Personally, I find four times in three hours excessive, and it could have been reduced by not drinking as much, but when you need the bathroom, you need the bathroom.”
“OP, take this as a learning experience, and choose an aisle seat next time. Gives you more legroom as well.” – freweg
“Half the reason she spoke up is likely seeing him down bottles of water next to her.”
“Someone getting up doesn’t bother me as much as someone getting up for something they inflicted on themselves.”
“I have had people stand up every 30 minutes to get something in the compartment above to entertain them, and as infuriating as it was, I didn’t feel like it was their fault per see.”
“If someone is going to the bathroom every 40 minutes next to me because they are chugging water like crazy, I will absolutely give my input on the matter since it is affecting me to an unreasonable extent.” – Wild_Face6762
“Aisle seat moved three times before asking if they could try and hold it, but they still moved the fourth time. I’d say they have a right to be annoyed when they are stuck next to someone on a three-hour flight that needs to p**s four times because they have decided to drink 80oz of water so they don’t get dehydrated.” – carlbandit
“ESH. You’re absolutely being ridiculous by drinking 80oz of water in three hours. Your excuse that you ‘dehydrate quicker’ is equally ridiculous. It’s three hours. Drinking a normal amount of water would have been fine. Your unnecessary decision inconvenienced those around you.”
“She’s the AH for hassling you about it so much. You’re not really entitled to a disturbance-free flight experience if you pick the aisle seat, and once again: it was only a three-hour flight. It’s not like it’s a ten-hour redeye, but I can absolutely understand her annoyance.” – idreaminwords
“If someone willingly drank enough water to make me move so much, I’d give them a hard time because they’re a moron and need to learn it’s not ok to do what they did.”
“I can’t even imagine OP on a 12+ hour flight. ‘Hey guys, AITA for bringing 2.5 gallons of water on my transatlantic flight, getting up to pee 20 times, and causing our plane to make an emergency landing because I was dying from brain swelling from flushing out my electrolytes and was going to die?'” – This_Hedgehog1962
“OP sounds like an inexperienced traveler. I hope they learned and can apply better hydration protocol next time. But Aisle Irene has no reason to be upset. Just because you have that seat doesn’t mean you get to dictate the behavior of the other two folks in that row.”
“I’ve traveled all over, and I must say that they can pack coach seats pretty tight, which will test the nerves of everyone. Everyone needs to try their best to make it work.” – IneedaWIPE
The subReddit was sure the OP needed some kind of lesson in traveling etiquette and self-care based on this post. Drinking so much water could also be unhealthy, not to mention super annoying to seatmates.
While some were side-eyeing the seatmate for commenting on the situation, others pointed out that this was only a three-hour flight, making this whole situation feel a little excessive.