During a flight from New York to Los Angeles, a business traveler returned from the restroom to find the man seated next to her finishing her in-flight meal. He had already eaten his own and casually dismissed her protest, saying she “took too long” and he “didn’t want it to go to waste.” Despite alerting the flight attendant, she was told there were no meals left—only a small bag of pretzels.
Annoyed but composed, she accepted the situation and focused on her next flight to San Diego. As the plane landed, a last-minute gate change was announced. Her seatmate, now full and fast asleep, didn’t stir. She quietly slipped away, choosing not to wake him—perhaps karma would do the rest.
Hours later in San Diego, while chatting with colleagues, one described a confused man at LAX arguing with a gate agent after missing his flight. The woman instantly recognized the description—it was the same man who had eaten her meal.
She didn’t get dinner, but she did get a taste of sweet justice. Sometimes, the best response is no response at all—just letting life take care of the rest.