Galley Gossip: Middle Seat Etiquette {Gadling}

Oct 20th 2008 11:14PM first, i would like to start off by saying that i am a flight attendant myself. recently however, while flying as a passenger on another airline i had my worst middle seat experience i have ever seen or heard of. i boarded my overseas carrier for my 8 hr transatlantic flight from ny after being told i had an aisle seat (windows were taken already) only to find out i have a middle. a middle in the last row of the plane. after boarding is complete, the seat next to me (on the aisle) is still empty...confusing. the flight attendants then put a screaming french man next to me. he procedes to place his arm not only on the armrest, but completely into my seat. (picture his wrist actually on the armrest-no elbow) this has made it so i can not even sit back in my seat. after asking him to move his elbow numerous times with the only result being him screaming at me in french i give up. he does eventually move his elbow though, and i manage to sit back in my seat, and place my arm not on the armrest, but right against it so he can use it, but not move it into my seat. crazy frenchman then becomes irate screaming at me and makes as though hes going to backhand me across the face. shocked, i do nothing but stare and he then hits me (really hard) with his elbow in my arm and ribs!! now id say that that experience was bad enough, but after calling over the flight attendant they actually scold and repremand me. they say i have caused a scene, (i screamed when he hurt me) and refuse to move him. i then have to sit foward in my seat for all of takeoff because of the elbow. when they finally do move him all they do is put his wife next to me. the lfight crew spent the rest of the flight being extremely rude to me and the people i was traveling with. now, for all those other fa's. if this was my flight i would have this man removed in handcuffs. if you hit me or anyone on my flight i have the right to have you removed, and i will do so! good luck to all you middle seat occupants. we are sorry, but as you can see even flight attendants suck it up sometimes!