{"id":7771,"date":"2026-10-18T00:04:02","date_gmt":"2026-10-18T00:04:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bzerbros.fun\/?p=7771"},"modified":"2026-10-18T00:04:03","modified_gmt":"2026-10-18T00:04:03","slug":"a-slim-woman-sitting-next-to-a-passenger-teased-her-weight-throughout-the-flight","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bzerbros.fun\/?p=7771","title":{"rendered":"A Slim Woman Sitting Next to a Passenger Teased Her Weight Throughout the Flight"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>For hours, the woman beside me complained about my weight, my eating, and even my breathing. When I finally changed seats, I left her a little surprise that soon had the entire cabin wide awake.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At 61, I&#8217;d learned two important things: life is too short to worry about other people&#8217;s opinions, and you&#8217;re never too old for a good prank.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I was flying overnight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I&#8217;ve lived with type 2 diabetes for years, and yes, I&#8217;m overweight. I&#8217;ve made peace with my body, although I&#8217;d be lying if I said the occasional nasty remark didn&#8217;t sting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That October, I was flying overnight to visit my daughter and two grandchildren for Halloween.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>My granddaughter, eight, wanted to be a witch, while her ten-year-old brother had requested a vampire costume.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I&#8217;d spent weeks sewing both outfits, adding enough dramatic details to make a Hollywood costume designer jealous.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I&#8217;ve made peace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>My suitcase was also stuffed with candy and decorations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And inside my carry-on, wrapped carefully in a blanket, was a very special surprise for my grandson, who adored scary movies and Halloween pranks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>My daughter always said, &#8220;Mom, sometimes I think I&#8217;ve got three children instead of two.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I boarded the plane.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I considered that a compliment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I boarded the plane in excellent spirits and settled into my usual aisle seat. It made getting up easier, and I preferred having a little freedom to move without disturbing anyone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Unfortunately, the woman sitting by the window seemed determined to ruin my good mood before we&#8217;d even taken off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I smiled politely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>My seatmate looked about 40. She was skinny, impeccably dressed, and wore an expensive watch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Her perfume was so strong I wondered whether she&#8217;d spilled the entire bottle on herself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The moment I sat down, she looked me up and down, then sighed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I smiled politely. She didn&#8217;t smile back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Wonderful.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Before we&#8217;d even taken off, a baby started fussing a few rows behind us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Wonderful. Six hours of listening to somebody else&#8217;s child.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Then a man across the aisle opened a bag of chips.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Does nobody understand basic manners anymore?&#8221; she muttered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;The battery&#8217;s dead!&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Finally, she put on a pair of expensive-looking headphones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I thought we might have some peace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Unfortunately, five minutes later, she ripped them off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;You&#8217;ve got to be kidding me! The battery&#8217;s dead!&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Maybe the flight attendant could help you charge them?&#8221; I suggested.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She tapped my arm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;I don&#8217;t need your advice.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I returned to my magazine. A minute later, she tapped my arm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Could you stop making that noise?&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;What noise?&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;That awful breathing. It&#8217;s like sitting next to a broken vacuum cleaner.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She glared.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I blinked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Well, I could try holding my breath, but I don&#8217;t think I&#8217;d make it to landing.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She glared at me. Apparently, humor wasn&#8217;t among her interests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Trying to lighten the mood, I mentioned that I was visiting my grandchildren for Halloween.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She grimaced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;I hate Halloween.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Ugh. I hate Halloween. Those disgusting decorations, creepy dolls, horrible masks. I can&#8217;t even watch horror movies without having nightmares.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;My grandson loves all that stuff.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;I don&#8217;t understand why people enjoy frightening each other. It&#8217;s sick.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I pictured my grandson hearing that. He&#8217;d probably start planning a dozen pranks before she finished speaking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Not yet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But I simply smiled and returned to my magazine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I had no intention of frightening anyone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At least, not yet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>About twenty minutes into the flight, I took a snack bar from my purse. I needed to keep my blood sugar stable, and my doctor had specifically advised me not to skip snacks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;I need it.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>My neighbor immediately noticed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;You&#8217;re eating that?&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;I need it,&#8221; I replied.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Of course. Have you ever thought that maybe you should eat less? You&#8217;re already taking up part of my seat!&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I stared at her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She laughed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Excuse me? I&#8217;m sitting in my own seat. I&#8217;m not taking up yours.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She laughed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Have you looked at yourself in the mirror? Your huge leg is spilling into my seat.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I glanced down. Both my legs were firmly within my seat, but I pressed them together anyway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ten minutes later, she announced that she needed the bathroom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>My cheeks burned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I unbuckled my seat belt and stood to let her pass.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Why does it take you so long to get up?&#8221; she snapped. &#8220;People should know their size and think about the other passengers around them.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>My cheeks burned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Normally, I would&#8217;ve had a comeback ready. But after so many insults, I couldn&#8217;t find a single word.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When she returned, she stopped a passing flight attendant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Are you blind?&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Excuse me! Aren&#8217;t people like her supposed to buy two tickets? I&#8217;m practically being crushed!&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The attendant examined our seats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Ma&#8217;am, she&#8217;s sitting entirely within her own space.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Are you blind? Look at her!&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I opened my mouth, but the attendant gently interrupted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I hesitated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;There&#8217;s another available seat farther back. Would you prefer to move?&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I hesitated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I&#8217;d paid for this aisle seat, and I hated rewarding such awful behavior.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But five more hours beside this woman sounded unbearable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;All right,&#8221; I sighed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I wasn&#8217;t embarrassed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>My neighbor smiled triumphantly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Then I reached for my carry-on and remembered my grandson&#8217;s special Halloween present.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Suddenly, I wasn&#8217;t embarrassed anymore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In fact, I had to bite my lip to keep from smiling. An absolutely wicked idea had just occurred to me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I opened my carry-on and carefully unwrapped my grandson&#8217;s present.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Absolutely hideous.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It was a doll about the size of a small child, with a cracked, porcelain-looking face, tangled black hair, and a crooked smile that revealed two rows of yellowish teeth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Its tiny hands had unnaturally long fingers, and its Victorian dress looked as though someone had dragged it through a cemetery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Absolutely hideous.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>My grandson was going to adore it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It was a doll.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The doll had come with a remote control, which I discreetly slipped into my cardigan pocket.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Then I settled my new friend into my old seat and tucked my travel blanket around her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Only a few strands of black hair stuck out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>My neighbor barely noticed. She was too busy scrolling through her phone, probably celebrating her victory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I looked up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I collected my belongings and walked toward my new seat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I&#8217;d barely sat down when a shriek echoed through the cabin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;WHAT IS THAT?!&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I looked up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The woman had pulled away the blanket and was staring directly into the doll&#8217;s horrible face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I leaned forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;AAAAAH!&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Several passengers turned around. I leaned forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Oh, you found my grandson&#8217;s present!&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;YOUR WHAT?!&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s a Halloween gift,&#8221; I explained cheerfully. &#8220;My grandson loves scary things. Isn&#8217;t she precious?&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;PRECIOUS?! THAT THING LOOKS POSSESSED!&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Isn&#8217;t she precious?&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I pressed a hand to my chest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Well, that&#8217;s not a very nice thing to say about a lady.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Someone across the aisle snorted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;GET IT AWAY FROM ME!&#8221; the woman screamed, waving for the flight attendant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The attendant hurried over.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Is this yours?&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;What&#8217;s the problem, ma&#8217;am?&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;THAT!&#8221; The woman pointed at the doll. &#8220;I want that disgusting thing removed immediately!&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The attendant looked at the doll, then at me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Is this yours?&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Yes, and I&#8217;m happy to secure her properly.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I returned briefly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The attendant explained that the toy itself wasn&#8217;t prohibited, provided it was safely secured.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With her permission, I returned briefly to buckle the doll into the seat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;I can&#8217;t sit next to that horrible thing!&#8221; my neighbor protested.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Ma&#8217;am,&#8221; the attendant replied patiently, &#8220;you requested that your previous seatmate move. She accommodated you.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>My neighbor protested.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I smiled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Don&#8217;t worry. She&#8217;s much smaller than I am. You should have plenty of room now.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Several passengers burst out laughing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The woman&#8217;s face turned scarlet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I returned to my new seat, feeling rather pleased with myself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I took the remote.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Then my fingers brushed against the remote in my pocket.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And I remembered that my grandson&#8217;s new friend had a few more tricks up her sleeve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Back in my new seat, I took the remote from my cardigan pocket and examined it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There were three little buttons, each marked with a different symbol. I remembered the shop assistant demonstrating them when I&#8217;d bought the doll.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The woman froze.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I pressed the first one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Khhhhhh\u2026 hhhhhh\u2026 khhhhh\u2026&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The woman froze. Slowly, she turned toward the doll.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Its crooked smile hadn&#8217;t changed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Hhhhh\u2026 khhhh\u2026 haaaaa\u2026&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;What was that?!&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The attendant approached.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I quickly switched off the sound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The woman waved frantically at the flight attendant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;That thing is breathing!&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The attendant approached and glanced at the motionless doll.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Ma&#8217;am, it&#8217;s a toy.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;What was that?!&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;I know it&#8217;s a toy! But it&#8217;s making noises!&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The attendant leaned closer and listened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Nothing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Perhaps you heard something from another passenger. Please try to keep your voice down. People are resting.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As soon as she walked away, I waited another minute and pressed the button again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Nothing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Khhhhhh\u2026 hhhhh\u2026&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Stop it!&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The woman grabbed both armrests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A man across the aisle lowered his book.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I released the button.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Excuse me, are you talking to the doll?&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s making sounds!&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He tilted his head to listen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I released the button.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Well,&#8221; he said, &#8220;right now, you&#8217;re making considerably more noise than it is.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She twisted around.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The woman shot him a murderous glare.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I quickly raised my magazine to hide my grin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Suddenly, she twisted around and spotted me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;You! You&#8217;re doing this!&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I lowered my magazine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Me? I&#8217;m sitting all the way back here.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I lowered my magazine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;You left that horrible thing beside me on purpose!&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Well, you did say you were uncomfortable sitting next to me.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;That doesn&#8217;t mean I want to sit next to a monster!&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I gave her my sweetest grandmotherly smile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;I thought you wanted a smaller seatmate. I even found you one who doesn&#8217;t need snacks.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;You were uncomfortable.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The man across the aisle burst out laughing. The woman looked ready to explode.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And I hadn&#8217;t even touched the other two buttons yet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Eventually, the commotion died down, and the flight attendant made an announcement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Ladies and gentlemen, as this is an overnight flight, we&#8217;ll be dimming the cabin lights shortly. Please lower your window shades so everyone can get some rest.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The commotion died down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>My former seatmate reluctantly pulled down her shade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The lights dimmed, and one by one, passengers switched off their reading lamps. Blankets came out, seats reclined, and the cabin finally grew quiet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Even my charming former neighbor stopped complaining.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>From my new seat, I could just make out the doll sitting beside her, perfectly motionless.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I&#8217;d tested it at home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Then I remembered the second button.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I&#8217;d tested it at home before packing the doll. Pressing it made those horrible little eyes glow bright red, as though something evil had awakened inside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>My grandson was going to go absolutely wild over that feature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I touched the remote in my pocket.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Perhaps I&#8217;d had enough fun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I pressed the button.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Then I remembered being told that even my breathing was unbearable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I pressed the button.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Two blood-red eyes suddenly lit up in the darkness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The woman turned her head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For two glorious seconds, she didn&#8217;t make a sound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The woman turned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Then she unleashed a scream so loud I thought the pilot might hear it through the cockpit door.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s looking at me!&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The entire cabin erupted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A sleeping passenger jolted upright, knocking his pillow onto the floor. Someone dropped their phone, while another man struggled to untangle himself from his blanket.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Its eyes!&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;What&#8217;s happening? Are we landing?!&#8221; someone shouted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Meanwhile, my former seatmate had pressed herself against the window, pointing a trembling finger at the doll.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Its eyes! They were red! I saw them!&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Naturally, I&#8217;d already released the button.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The flight attendant hurried over and switched on the overhead lights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Bright red!&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There sat my grandson&#8217;s doll, looking as innocent as a creature with cracked skin and rotten-looking teeth possibly could.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Ma&#8217;am, what&#8217;s going on now?&#8221; the attendant asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;That thing&#8217;s eyes were glowing! Bright red! Like something from a horror movie!&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The attendant leaned closer to inspect it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Several passengers laughed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The doll didn&#8217;t move.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;I&#8217;m not seeing anything unusual.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Because it stopped! I&#8217;m telling you, it was looking directly at me!&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>From somewhere across the aisle, a man muttered, &#8220;Maybe it doesn&#8217;t like your perfume.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Several passengers laughed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I looked up innocently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I bit the inside of my cheek so hard I nearly hurt myself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Then the woman suddenly twisted around and pointed straight at me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;She&#8217;s controlling it! I know she is!&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I looked up innocently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I raised my eyebrows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Controlling what?&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;The doll! She&#8217;s making it do things!&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I raised my eyebrows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;I&#8217;ve been sitting here quietly. Isn&#8217;t that what you wanted?&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Get that thing out of here!&#8221; she demanded, turning back to the attendant. &#8220;I&#8217;m not spending another minute beside it!&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Controlling what?&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The attendant looked toward me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Ma&#8217;am, if your doll has electronic features, could you please make sure they&#8217;re switched off? We need to let everyone rest.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Of course,&#8221; I replied sweetly. &#8220;Wouldn&#8217;t dream of disturbing anyone.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The woman gave an outraged gasp.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The attendant looked toward me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I tucked the remote deeper into my pocket.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But judging by the way she was glaring at the doll, my former neighbor wasn&#8217;t ready to let the matter go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;I want that doll confiscated!&#8221; the woman demanded. &#8220;Put it somewhere I can&#8217;t see it!&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The flight attendant remained remarkably patient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;That&#8217;s ridiculous!&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Ma&#8217;am, we can&#8217;t confiscate a permitted toy simply because you dislike its appearance. Its electronic features will remain switched off.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;That&#8217;s ridiculous! She&#8217;s been tormenting me!&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The attendant folded her hands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Ma&#8217;am, this passenger gave up her seat because you said you were uncomfortable. Since then, we&#8217;ve received several complaints about your shouting.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;That lady hasn&#8217;t bothered anyone.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The woman stared at her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;So you&#8217;re taking her side?!&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;I&#8217;m trying to make sure everyone can enjoy the rest of their flight.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A man sitting behind her leaned forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;That lady hasn&#8217;t bothered anyone since she moved. You&#8217;re the one waking everybody up.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The woman stared at her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Another passenger chuckled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;At least the doll isn&#8217;t complaining about how much space it needs!&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Laughter rippled through the surrounding rows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The woman looked around, apparently expecting someone to defend her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Then I&#8217;m moving!&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Nobody did.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Fine!&#8221; she snapped. &#8220;Then I&#8217;m moving!&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The attendant checked for another available seat and directed her farther down the cabin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>My former neighbor snatched up her handbag and phone, muttering something about being trapped on an airplane full of lunatics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;You&#8217;re a horrible woman.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As she passed my row, she stopped and leaned toward me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;You&#8217;re a horrible woman,&#8221; she hissed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I gave her my warmest grandmotherly smile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;And you have a wonderful Halloween.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She marched away without another word.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She passed my row.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I watched her disappear behind the curtain separating the cabin sections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Then I looked toward my old seat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>My little porcelain-faced friend was still sitting there, smiling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For once, I couldn&#8217;t have agreed with her expression more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Once the woman was gone, I caught the flight attendant&#8217;s attention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Of course, ma&#8217;am.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Would it be possible for me to return to my original seat?&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Of course, ma&#8217;am. Just please keep the doll&#8217;s electronic features switched off and put it away.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Absolutely. She&#8217;s caused enough excitement for one night.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I retrieved my little monster, tucked her safely into my carry-on, and settled back into my aisle seat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I grinned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For the first time since boarding, I could actually relax.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A few minutes later, the attendant brought me some water. She glanced at the tangled black hair sticking out of my bag.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Your grandson must have quite a sense of humor.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I grinned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She laughed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Oh, he gets that from me.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She laughed and continued down the aisle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I leaned back, imagining my grandchildren&#8217;s faces when they saw their costumes and presents. I could practically feel their little arms wrapping around me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Then I patted my carry-on affectionately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I&#8217;d bought that doll to give my grandson the scare of his life. Turns out, it had already given me the best flight of mine.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>For hours, the woman beside me complained about my weight, my eating, and even my breathing. 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