Etiquette expert gives advice on what to do with a noisy neighbor on a plane

An etiquette expert reveals some of the worst in-flight faux pas that “shatter social norms” and gives tips on how to deal with the most inconsiderate travelers. For example, what to do if the passenger next to you listens to music on the plane without headphones.

According to the Daily Mail, etiquette expert Nick Layton often talks about manners and how to handle everyday topics and activities with grace and class on his podcast, Were You Raised by Wolves?

Just recently, a California professional who teaches people how to navigate any situation smoothly detailed what you should do if a fellow airline passenger starts disrupting your peaceful flight with their movie or music.

The expert has reignited the ongoing debate over airline etiquette – just weeks after a passenger provoked Fury by putting her feet on a fellow passenger’s seat and another admitted she had a seatbelt around her ankles, raising questions about why it is important for travelers to respect rules of conduct in flight.

Nick Layton spoke to USA Today about the problem. He told the publication: “We live our lives through screens, and when we do this, we become less aware of the real world around us… It makes us forget that we are not always the protagonists in every situation.”

Nick explained that while people being “inattentive” isn’t a “new behavior,” it is still frustrating. He noted that people often forget that taking up someone’s auditory space is still considered rude.

According to Nick, this practice not only upsets others, but also divides society. He told the publication: “They need to know they’re tearing the fabric of society apart and they need to stop. Nobody’s going to die, it’s not a disaster, but it’s corroding. It’s rust on the mechanisms that make society work, and at some point these the mechanisms will fail. We don’t want to live in a lawless society free of etiquette, that’s not the world we want to live in, and that’s why it’s important that everyone does their part.”

In addition to tearing “the fabric of society apart,” the expert called the practice of playing loud music or turning up the volume of your movie while sitting on a plane “disrespectful.”

He then explained how the situation could be rectified in hopes of getting the annoying passenger to use headphones.

Nick explained that while you want to stop the music, you have to keep in mind that this person is on the same plane as you and may even be sitting right next to you. And, in addition to good manners, the pro said that if a passenger refuses, you should just cut your losses: “On a plane, you really have to sit next to someone for hours; we don’t want them to act badly with first minute.”

“In the world of etiquette, we make one request, and that’s not a negotiation… If they say no, I’m not going to push it any further. That’s not a height I’m going to die for,” he added.

The expert said that when you do make a request, you should do so in a polite and neutral tone. If the passenger refuses, you can subtly ask the flight attendant for help.

This is not the first time airplane etiquette has been discussed, notes the Daily Mail. Just a month ago, one frequent flyer caused an uproar by demonstrating a “dangerous” travel method in which she strapped a seat belt around her ankles to sit more “comfortably” during a flight.

In the past, many passengers have also wondered whether they should change planes while traveling.

An unidentified man took to Reddit to share his story of a swap that “forever changed his mind about ever being nice and swapping places with anyone.”

Another frequent flyer previously said she refused to swap window seats with a “titled” passenger who wanted to sit next to his wife.

An unnamed woman shared how she refused to move to the middle seat on an 11-hour flight from New York to Cairo, Egypt, so that the man sitting next to her could sit next to his wife.

An anonymous woman shared her story on the social media platform to rant about the man in a thread called “People with Rights”, prompting other netizens to slam the man for asking someone else to move to a lower quality seat so he could be happy.