After a long, exhausting week, all I wanted on my flight was a little peace and a movie. But that plan got tangled—literally.

The young woman in front of me flipped her long hair over the back of her seat, letting it drape right onto my tray table, completely blocking my screen.

I tapped her shoulder politely.
“Could you move your hair, please?”

She gave a half-hearted apology and flipped it back. Ten minutes later—boom, right back in my space.

I asked again. She ignored me.

So… I got creative. I calmly chewed a few pieces of gum and pressed them gently into the strands hanging over my tray. One by one.

About fifteen minutes later, she touched her hair—and froze.

“What the…?!” she gasped.
I stayed cool. “That’s what ignoring personal space gets you.”

She was furious—but silent. Without another word, she tied her hair into the tidiest bun imaginable and sat perfectly still the rest of the flight.

Me? I hit play on my movie and finally enjoyed my peace.