There’s that joke circulating about why people no longer dress up to get on the plane. Instead everyone shows up in baggy sweats and slip-on sandals. It’s the one that says, “We’re all dressing for the experience we’re about to have.”
That experience? Often a cramped, uncomfortable ride through the sky.
Travel Made Affordable
Spirit Airlines (bless their affordable heart) is one of several airlines that “unbundle” its pricing. This means everyone can fly, but nobody is having a good time. Pair that with the already exhausting holiday season, and it’s a recipe for hilarity-by-mishap.
Avid runner Marathonprep (@marathonprep) was flying with her boyfriend when something mortifying occurred. So she took to TikTok to apologize for/laugh about her recent in-flight behavior. Over Hannah Montana, saying, “Yeah, yeah, yeah, put your hands together everybody,” Marathonprep appears on-screen.
She doesn’t say a word. Instead she’s wearing sunglasses and a slightly embarrassed smile as she looks at, then away from, the camera. But the in-screen text—literally—says it all. It reads, “When you get off a flight and the woman next to you immediately voice-to-texts her friend: “Worst flight ever, I’ll text you later … just everything about it’ meanwhile my boyfriend tells me I slept on her shoulder the entire flight.”
Well, that has a kind of real-life “SNL” skit flavor. However, for us, it gets even better. Her boyfriend, though he didn’t wake her up or move her off of the stranger’s shoulder, did get a photo. “He accidentally took a live photo of it, [skull emoji],” she writes at the end of the on-screen text.
Pics Or It Didn’t Happen
No wonder the TikTok has garnered about 1.5 million views, and the comments section is full—from pleas to see the photo to shared stories of travel mishaps.
“Her saying it out loud is HILARIOUS,” one wrote. “She wanted you to know sis.”
Marathonprep replies, “Right like okay miss girl.”
Corazón (@mi1corazon) is more compassionate. They wrote, “Honestly, I fly a lot and airplanes are the only place I’ll never judge someone (obviously there’s limits) but if someone’s head or something falls on me, I won’t be bugged by it. Plane seats have gotten so tiny and more than likely some body part will be touching someone else, also you never know if this is their second flight or if they haven’t slept in a while or why they’re traveling or what and if they’re bothering you a simple tap on the sleeping person’s arm will do too.”
“Don’t be shy show us the photo gf,” urged another.
Another user asked the question everyone seemed to know the answer to: “Why did he [boyfriend] let that happen omg.”
Marathonprep said she’s “still wondering the same.” (She later explained she doesn’t like flying and thinks her boyfriend wanted to let her rest.)
What To Do If Stranger Falls Asleep On You On Flight
The next TikTok Marathonprep posted is the image. She’s seated in the center seat on the Spirit Airlines plane, and it is clear. She’s totally zonked out. In one image she’s curled (as much as one can be) toward the woman.
In another, her head is propped against the headrest, mouth open, while the woman next to her looks absolutely miserable. This situation begs the obvious question: What should you do if a stranger falls asleep on you?
Interpersonal Skills suggests that there are multiple ways to deal with this. From the aforementioned “gentle tap” to social devices that are a little more passive-aggressive, many solutions are offered.
One commenter suggested constantly moving while doing small activities usually works to wake people. Another said when they start to settle in and rest their head, to calmly and gently push their head back up and say, “‘It seems that you started to fall over. Don’t worry about it’ and maintain a cheerful attitude.”
Either way, the common theme seems to be to address it sooner rather than later—so you’re not sitting there, an awkward human pillow.
So Very Sleepy
And what if you wake up only to discover you’ve nestled into a stranger’s shoulder? Apologize, laugh it off, and move on.”
BroBible reached out to Marathonprep via TikTok direct message and Spirit Airlines via their media email. We’ll update this with any travel tips we get.