After a brutal week of nonstop work, I finally boarded my flight. All I wanted was a few hours of peace, a good movie, and maybe even a little nap.

But my moment of calm didn’t last long.

The young woman in the seat ahead of me — probably in her early twenties — leaned back, flipped her long hair over the headrest… and let it fall straight onto my tray table. It completely covered my screen.

I gently tapped her shoulder.
“Hey, excuse me — could you please move your hair?”

She gave a quick, half-apology and tossed it back over to her side. Problem solved… or so I thought.

Barely ten minutes later, her hair was right back in front of me — like nothing happened.

I spoke up again. No response. She just kept scrolling on her phone like I didn’t exist. That’s when it hit me: some people only learn when their behavior affects them.

So, I got creative.

I pulled out a few pieces of gum, chewed them slowly, and then — calmly, without a word — pressed them gently into the strands of hair hanging over my tray. Strand by strand.

About fifteen minutes later, she reached back, touched her hair… and froze.

She turned, eyes wide. “What the…?!”

Still watching my movie, I said evenly, “That’s the result of ignoring someone’s personal space.”

“You’re insane!”

“And you’re disrespectful. But here’s the good news,” I added. “I’ve got a tiny pair of scissors if you want to take care of it now. Or you can deal with it later. Up to you.”

She didn’t say another word.

Instead, she tied her hair up into the neatest bun I’ve ever seen and sat perfectly still the rest of the flight.

As for me? I leaned back, hit play on my movie, and finally — finally — enjoyed my peace.