Plane passenger's outrageous act causes fury: 'Not normal'

In the latest episode of in-flight etiquette gone wrong, a male passenger has ignited online fury for what some are calling an extreme case of 'manspreading.' Claire Zhu, a seasoned traveller, captured the incident on camera, sharing it with her 242,000 TikTok followers.

Zhu and her partner, Peter Ovendorf, have been globe-trotting, sharing their adventures on social media via a joint TikTok account. While they've encountered various breaches of travel decorum along the way, Zhu claimed one passenger on a recent flight took it too far, literally and figuratively.

Zhu's viral video, viewed over 4 million times, exposes a fellow traveller stretching his legs across the aeroplane aisle, not only encroaching on Zhu's personal space but also obstructing the pathway.

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In the clip, she covers her mouth in shock, describing the incident as the man taking "manspreading to ANOTHER LEVEL."

The footage reveals the man's leg extended so far into the aisle that it crossed into Zhu's seat, with his foot uncomfortably close to hers.

Responses poured in from appalled viewers, with many expressing their annoyance at the audacious act.

"That isn't manspreading, that's literally splitting," observed one follower.

"I would call the police," another person joked, before someone else added, "that's not normal."

Online reactions spanned from disbelief to creative suggestions for handling the situation. "I would lose my mind," commented another person, while someone else proposed frequent bathroom visits as a subtle retaliation.

One person even urged Zhu to take a stand: "Bestie, you got to step on his foot. This is the final straw."

While some empathised with the man, noting he is "obviously tall," the majority felt that, regardless, this extent of spreading is quite literally overstepping the mark.

As the discussion unfolded, a flight attendant weighed in, suggesting that if such a situation occurred on her flight, she would have made a public service announcement reminding passengers to "keep the aisle clear."

The incident serves as a stark reminder that the battle against manspreading is far from over, even at cruising altitude.

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