‘That’s an insane use of free will’: Passenger looks over at man in seat next to them on flight. They can’t believe what he’s doing to pass the time
Anyone who has flown overnight knows it can be difficult to fall asleep. The usual squished seating between passengers at 30,000 feet, traveling in a different time zone, can throw off the circadian rhythm. Typically, attempt to relax their minds by scrolling through the internet, reading a novel, watching shows and movies, or catching up on mundane tasks.
When sleeplessness struck at 3am for one woman’s seatmate, it shocked her enough that she filmed it.
What was this airline passenger doing?
In a 15-second video, TikTok creator @twotravelingtastebuds records her male seatmate opening a piece of mail among the mountain pile on his tray table, using the TV screen brightness as a nightlight on her flight. After he tears open the envelope, he pulls out the letter with a slight hiss.
According to the text overlay, he was ripping and tearing through his mail for some time. “When it’s 3 AM and the guy in your row decides to open all of his mail FOR OVER AN HOUR,” she writes. To prove it, the content creator shifts the camera to her screen, revealing the time as 3:30 am local time.
@twotravelingtastebuds elaborates more in the caption, writing, “When it’s 3 am in the morning and the guy in your row decides to open what has to be 6 months worth of mail by hand! It took him over an hour to review all of his mail, pretty sure he was doing a social experiment at this point lol.”
The content creator never names the airline.
What did viewers say?
The video garnered 39,000 views. In the comments section, viewers were at a loss for words.
“Wait that’s an insane use of free will,” one viewer commented.
“This is his version of deleting photos from the camera roll,” another joked.
“The idea of carrying all that on and off the plane is wild to me,” a third remarked.
However, some were inspired by @twotravelingtastebuds’s seatmate’s idea and planned to use it during their next flight.
“I have a 7 hour flight tmrw and haven’t opened my mailbox in over 2 months. Thank you for this idea,” one commenter remarked.
“Wait I have flight anxiety this might actually be a good distraction for me,” a second stated.
Tips to help fall asleep on an overnight flight
Regardless of how exhausted we are, some people struggle to doze off as soon as the plane takes off. In addition to eyemasks and noise-canceling headphones, there are ways to get some shut-eye before boarding. Yahoo shares methods that can be done at the airport to prepare:
- Avoid caffeine and screens
- Dress comfortably
- Eat a big meal
- Walk around the airport to tire yourself out
- Brush your teeth
- Use the bathroom
@twotravelingtastebuds When it’s 3 am in the morning and the guy in your row decides to open what has to be 6 months worth of mail by hand! It took him over an hour to review all of his mail, pretty sure he was doing a social experiment at this point lol #flying #airportlife #rude #airports #drama ♬ LOOK AT THIS – Astro Boyke
The Mary Sue reached out to @twotravelingtastebuds via TikTok comment and direct message.
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