Recently, I took a short flight — only two hours, but I will never forget this flight. At first, everything was normal: I took my seat by the aisle, the seat next to me was empty, and a young girl was sitting by the window.

About ten minutes after takeoff, she started behaving strangely. First, she slowly took off her socks, then unbuttoned and removed her sweater, leaving her in a short top. Then she took out food and started eating, chewing so loudly it seemed like she was doing it on purpose.

But the climax was her dirty, clearly long-unwashed foot, which she shamelessly put on the tray table of the empty seat — right in front of me. The smell from that foot was so awful I almost vomited.

I tried to handle it politely. I leaned toward the girl and said politely:

— Excuse me, but you’re not alone in the cabin, please respect the other passengers.

She just snorted contemptuously and waved it off:

— The seat is empty, I can do whatever I want.

My patience ran out. I came up with a simple but effective plan to put that rude girl in her place. Continued in the first comment

I stood up, went to the flight attendant, and asked for a cup of warm coffee. Returning to my seat, I accidentally — really accidentally! — spilled that coffee right on her disgusting foot.

The girl jumped up and screamed:

— What are you doing?!

I calmly looked at her and said:

— Sorry, I tripped, but you know, in a cramped plane it’s better to keep your feet to yourself. It’s safer and… more polite.

The girl wiped her foot with napkins and didn’t dare put it out again, and for the rest of the flight she sat quietly like a mouse.

After this incident, I understood one thing: sometimes you shouldn’t be too polite, people take politeness for weakness.