People act on planes as though no one else is there. They have the most intimate of conversations. Often the find love, or at least a few minutes of it anyway. They argue. And they discuss the most private parts of their lives. And they do this right there out in the open!
Planes are strange places. To create personal space amongst crowds, we all act as though the density of people means that we’re alone. That’s true in the most crowded cities, too. Walk around New York and people act as though nobody can see them even though everyone can see them. They create their own zones of privacy, like a child covering their eyes to make themselves hidden.
The corollary is that we can hear what’s happening around us, but we’re supposed to pretend like we don’t, to create that zone of privacy. I think that’s the only thing that can explain this man deciding to divorce his wife while their Delta Air Lines flight prepares to take off.
Shortly after boarding, this guy behind me decides to review his credit card statement with his captive, silent wife.
She spent $394 at Publix and $240 at Chevron over 4 days according to him. For a solid 20 minutes and using more F-bombs than Boondock Saints, he chastises her for buying more food than a human can eat and more gas than a car can drink. She has zero words to say.
After re-calculating, re-chastising, and racking up the F-bomb tally for 20 minutes he says it’s worth losing half his assets if it means his “lazy wife” (his words) will have to get a job and that he’s through with her. No more words are exchanged for the flight.
Plot twist: spending $240 at a gas station in four days, surely she’s getting cash back or buying things to re-sell? She’s probably already cleaned the man out and using the proceeds to fund her own divorce lawyer.
Besides, this surely isn’t the first time they’ve argued about money. And if he’s doing it in public, he’s past the point of caring in the relationship and isn’t easy to live with to begin with. This couple wasn’t going to stay together even if he didn’t decide to bring printed copies of joint credit card transactions for activity since the last statement close onto a trip they were taking together.
Maybe he should have waited until the end of the trip? If you’re going to have an argument with someone you’re traveling with, maybe wait until you reach the hotel or make it home? And if this is on the outbound portion of the journey, maybe you don’t want to spoil the vacation itself where you may be stuck with them in an unfamiliar place?