‘I would never speak again’: Dallas flight attendant learns the hard way to never make small talk with passengers after interaction with man
A Dallas flight attendant has officially retired from in-flight small talk after one innocent boarding question turned into a plot twist straight out of a dark comedy. One minute she’s asking a passenger what’s in the box he’s carrying, and the next, he’s deadpanning, “My brother.” Just like that, she’s staring into the distance, rethinking every conversation she’s ever initiated at 30,000 feet.
The Trials of Flight Attendants Around the World
Rin, who goes by @eringilstrap on TikTok, has reached flight attendants across the globe with her short, five-second clip. The video only shows her in the plane while looking up toward the sky and letting out a big sigh. It’s obvious she’s perturbed.
The text overlay reads: “I hate making small talk as a flight attendant. Asked a passenger during boarding what was in the box he was carrying and he said ‘my brother.’” To cement more of the anguish in, her caption says, “Like I should really just never speak again tbh.” The TikTok has so far gained 253,000 views.
This new interaction joins the long list of difficulties flight attendants face at work. Now that the career is gaining more spotlight for working in the service industry, flight attendants are sharing their stories all over the internet. Specifically, odd interactions with passengers.
The Mary Sue covered an instance where a flight attendant had a passenger demand to use her jacket as a blanket because she felt cold. Spoiler alert: the attendant didn’t give it. In another story, a flight attendant had to give the safety protocol to exit aisle passengers and a man refused to say a verbal “yes,” which led to him getting kicked off the aircraft. However, sometimes it can be very small, miscellaneous things. Such as a passenger asking for extra Biscoff cookies. At the end of the day, these attendants deal with a plethora of situations.
@eringilstrap Like I should really just never speak again tbh #flightattendant #cabincrew #stewardess #aviation ♬ best friends – karissa?
Other Attendants Share the Same Pain
As viewers swarm Rin’s comments section, one thing is certain: she is not the first person to have such an awkward encounter. One viewer shares, “I used to say ‘have a fun trip’ and they would reply ‘thanks I’m going to bury my mom.’ Now I just say ‘Safe travels.’”
Another viewer says, “I also had this interaction! it took EVERYTHING in me not to cry when the pax said this is my mom.” Rin replies to this comment with, “I really need to come up with a line like ‘I’m glad she could have one last flight with you’ BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE THIS HAPPENS OFTEN?!?!”
Some viewers even offer their perspectives from the other side. One viewer shares, “I still think about the FA’s horrified look after telling her that my mother was in the cargo.”
Another says, “That was my poor flight attendant when they asked if i was having a good day and i said no my sister has cancer.”
These interactions may be awkward, but they are, after all, human.
The Mary Sue reached out to Rin via TikTok direct message.
Update Dec. 12, 2025:
In a TikTok message to the Mary Sue, Rin shared that this was the first time something like this had happened to her since becoming a flight attendant. However, she reveals it had happened at her previous jobs.
“I have definitely shied away from small talk for now but still am friendly,” she said. “I think I just wait for the passengers to come forward with info now vs asking things myself.”
Rin shared that the most difficult part of the job was dealing with argumentative adults.
“Upset about having to put their backpack under the seat, trying to switch seats, lying to try and sit in the exit row,” she said. “It’s stressful and tiring. The best part of the job is the friendly adults – the people you meet and keep up with, the flight attendants that become your friends, the strangers that are helpful and kind when touring a new city.”
While Rin did not expect her clip to go viral, she said the comments made her feel less alone in her discomfort in the situation.
“Some people said I was wrong for asking my question in the first place and I get where they’re coming from,” she said. “I meant no harm and I felt the man knew that. It definitely reminded me to always be kind because you never know what the next person is carrying. Literally and figuratively.”
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