Why do people think it's ok to put your window shade down on the plane?

[Anonymous]

Because it is ok

[Anonymous]

I flew once for a vacation with my niece, who had the window seat. I was looking out the window and she told me I was being incredibly rude. (No I wasn't leaning over her lap or anything, just turned my head to see out the window). I was dumbstruck. Didn't say anything but definitely stewed about it for a stretch (but picked up my book).

I had forgotten about this (happened New Years 2019) until I saw this post. So, OP, if the person who has the window shade up is my niece, guess you're not allowed to look out it anyway.

[Anonymous]

What on earth makes you think the window belongs to the whole row?

When you are in the window seat, do you poll everyone in the row before raising/lowering the shade?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I flew once for a vacation with my niece, who had the window seat. I was looking out the window and she told me I was being incredibly rude. (No I wasn't leaning over her lap or anything, just turned my head to see out the window). I was dumbstruck. Didn't say anything but definitely stewed about it for a stretch (but picked up my book).

I had forgotten about this (happened New Years 2019) until I saw this post. So, OP, if the person who has the window shade up is my niece, guess you're not allowed to look out it anyway.

Why would you stew about this instead of telling her it isn’t rude to face your head towards the window?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The window does not belong to everyone in the row. It belongs to the window seat.

+1

Yep. I like the shade up during the day as well, but I value easy access to the bathroom more, so I book the aisle and deal with the fact that the window seat passenger determines the status of the shade. And of course, the hapless middle seat passenger gets both armrests.

omg. thank you. I'm very petite, and when I'm in the middle seat, the bigger people always feel like they are entitled to the armrests.

I try to always book the aisle because I have to pee more when I'm in the air. Something about the air pressure.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I flew once for a vacation with my niece, who had the window seat. I was looking out the window and she told me I was being incredibly rude. (No I wasn't leaning over her lap or anything, just turned my head to see out the window). I was dumbstruck. Didn't say anything but definitely stewed about it for a stretch (but picked up my book).

I had forgotten about this (happened New Years 2019) until I saw this post. So, OP, if the person who has the window shade up is my niece, guess you're not allowed to look out it anyway.

Why would you stew about this instead of telling her it isn’t rude to face your head towards the window?

Didn't want to take the chance it would turn into a weird argument. Cramped quarters in the back of the plane is not a great place for that. As it was, we had the guy behind us argument with the guy next to him about whether having a cell phone on would crash the plane. Of course I stewed for awhile, nobody likes being told they're rude when they are doing a perfectly normal thing (and I may be more sensitive to that than some people are). Not worth arguing about either.

[Anonymous]

Saying the window seat belongs to the window person is ridic. Aisle person doesn’t rule access to the aisle.
People should be considerate and ask if it’s ok before fully lowering the shade so others can’t see out. I think most people know this but quite a few don’t

[Anonymous]

I think people put the shade down because they are oh so sophisticated and bored with flying that they don't need to see the amazing view during take off or landing that the poor peasants who don't get to travel often would really like to see.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The window does not belong to everyone in the row. It belongs to the window seat.

This. Window shade rights belong to the person in the window seat.

That said, I don't know why people book the window seat if they don't want to look out the window. I keep it open.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I find it to be so rude when people do this. One thing if it's a redeye, or if it's dark, or if the sun is shining right into people's eyes. But otherwise, the window belongs to everyone in the row. I've had this happen so many times recently and you don't even know when you're landing. It's soooooooo selfish!

The person closing it has a reason. You may not know the reason, but in their judgment, there is some reason to close it. Don’t overthink it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The window does not belong to everyone in the row. It belongs to the window seat.

This. Window shade rights belong to the person in the window seat.

That said, I don't know why people book the window seat if they don't want to look out the window. I keep it open.

Because they don’t want others to climb over them.

Or some other reason.

Why does that matter?

Window seat controls the shade.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I find it to be so rude when people do this. One thing if it's a redeye, or if it's dark, or if the sun is shining right into people's eyes. But otherwise, the window belongs to everyone in the row. I've had this happen so many times recently and you don't even know when you're landing. It's soooooooo selfish!

The person closing it has a reason. You may not know the reason, but in their judgment, there is some reason to close it. Don’t overthink it.

-Sun is too bright
-Can’t see the TV screen because of glare
-Wants to take a nap
-Looking at the vast horizon triggers a panic attack (yes, this has happened to me and it was awful).
Many other reasons…..

[Anonymous]

I remember a thread in the not-too-distant past saying that exact opposite, that window seaters who don't put their shades down are super rude. I guess the problem that poster had was that the sun interferes with watching screens or doing work on laptops. And therefore, according to that poster, keeping shades up was rude, selfish behavior.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think people put the shade down because they are oh so sophisticated and bored with flying that they don't need to see the amazing view during take off or landing that the poor peasants who don't get to travel often would really like to see.

Can’t tell if this is sarcasm? Anyway, I have been on hundreds of flights and I never tire of the view from 35,000 feet. I especially like the views during landing and takeoff. That said, if I’m in economy, I’m 100% aisle seat and have no issue with window seat occupant controlling the window shade. If it was that important to me, I would book window seat, but I feel claustrophobic in window seat and vastly prefer aisle seats.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I hate when the window is open. I’m assuming it’s like a 50-50 thing, some like it open some like it closed. What I do not understand is why this would make someone angry?

A strong sense of entitlement.