Flight attendant asked a 5’10” woman to climb over a paralyzed 90-year-old passenger to reach her seat — her response won the internet’s heart
Early morning flights are already exhausting, but for a woman who goes by @thefloraldame on TikTok, things were unexpectedly overwhelming. The woman had boarded a flight and realized that she had to cross a paralyzed 90-year-old passenger to reach her seat. However, upon seeking assistance from the flight attendant, she was stunned to hear the staff suggest she "climb over" the man to get to her seat. She immediately responded to the bizarre remedy, which has now garnered applause from online users. Sharing her experience on January 6, 2026, the passenger stood her ground and refused to comply with the unserious service.
@thefloraldame I love you @delta but you have to do better in these situations. #delta #flightattendant #flights #unacceptable ♬ original sound - The Floral Dame
The woman arrived to get to her window seat only to see an elderly man, roughly in his 90s, seated in the middle. Unable to reach her seat, she immediately flagged her query to the flight attendant, who informed her that he was immovable. He was in a wheelchair and paralyzed from the waist down. However, when she asked how she'd get to her seat, the flight attendant suggested she climb over the man. Stunned by the remedy, immediately declined. She refused the proposition because it was a liability to both the elderly passenger and herself, and because it was an error from the airline's end that they hadn't pre-planned the situation.
The passenger revealed that she eventually decided to exchange seats with the man's caregiver. She noted that the flight staff's inconsideration towards the passenger and poor planning led to her dealing with the confusion on the flight. She also criticized the flight attendant for their choice of words in front of the paralyzed passenger. "The flight attendant shouldn't have been standing next to this gentleman, then to tell whoever in his row, like, 'Hey, this guy can't move,'" she noted. Needless to say, she demanded that she receive a refund from the airline since she had to give up her seat and had a disturbing experience and inconvenience.
A study by ResearchGate cited the importance of in-flight service needs for passengers with mobility impairments. The study noted that such passengers must be provided with assistance in accessing in-flight amenities, and must be treated the same as other passengers. It was also mentioned that services must be more individualized based on their needs and that they must have access to "effective communication and accurate information." By failing to treat the disabled passenger with consideration and disrespecting him by asking the woman to "climb" over him, the flight attendant failed to do their due diligence. Soon after her video went viral, many users shared their thoughts on it. TikTok users said she was indeed eligible for a refund and praised her kind gesture.
They also urged her to file a formal complaint so that the issue would never be repeated. @jennifermosserpsu wrote, "And how about protecting the dignity of that poor man? Thank you for refusing to climb over him! Also, what was their plan in an emergency?" @haley commented, "If I were paralyzed, I could only think of a few things more dehumanizing than being placed in a middle seat and having someone climb over me anytime they need to get in or out." @jenj154 wrote, "That was an outrageous request for both you and that gentleman. An incident like that doesn't need to be repeated."
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