There was a fight in her flight.
A woman went viral after posting a series of videos showing a tense confrontation with a passenger sitting next to her on a four-hour flight from Puerto Rico to Atlanta.
The videos — posted on TikTok over the weekend by travel content creator Taila Rouse — have been viewed 20 million times as of Tuesday.
“Sitting next to a racist on my four-hour flight from Puerto Rico to Atlanta this week,” read the video’s caption. “Yes I could’ve minded my own business, but why should I let him slide?”
Rouse said she witnessed the man next to her complaining over text to his family that he had to sit next to a “big black woman” on the unidentified airline.
“I wasn’t going to say anything — but I decided I want you to feel as uncomfortable as I do,” Rouse calmly told the unidentified man sitting beside her on the plane in the video.
“And I want you to know that I saw your text messages and I think you’re disgusting.”
The passenger attempted to play dumb and asked Rouse what she was saying but the irate woman said he knew “exactly what I’m talking about.”
“I’m not I’m not going to repeat it because everybody doesn’t need to know. But I want you to know that I know. I saw you and I think that you’re disgusting.”
The man attempted to apologize to Rouse — but she declined the attempted apology declaring, “You’re sorry because I saw it.”
Rouse also claimed that the man and his family were complaining that they were forced to sit next to black and gay people and that he hopes airfare continues to rise to “weed out” those who can’t afford it.
“If you’re gonna be bold enough to pull your phone out in the middle seat of an airplane and freely talk disrespectfully about black people, then I’m going to be bold enough to say something to you,” Rouse wrote to her more than 45,000 followers on TikTok.
The Post reached out to Rouse for comment.
Meanwhile, hundreds of social media watchdogs sided with Rouse’s actions.
@taila.thecreatorSitting next to a racist on my four hour flight from Puerto Rico to Atlanta this week. Yes I could’ve minded my own business, but why should I let him slide? I happened to glance over and see the words “big black woman” so I continued reading. He and his family went on and on about the woes of being stuck sitting next to Black and gay people. Then I see this man say he hopes airlines continue to raise prices so these people get weeded out. If you’re gonna be bold enough to pull your phone out in the middle seat of an airplane and freely talk disrespectfully about Black people, then I’m going to be bold enough to say something to you. What would you have done? #traveltiktok #racistoftheday #racistencounter #airplanedrama #travelingwhileblack #blacktravelfeed
♬ original sound – Taila • Travel Tips
“I know your heart was beating saying this and honey,” commented another. “But you stood up through it! Proud beyond proud.”
“The shaking … I can feel you through this video,” a third supporter praised. “So proud. So brave. So honorable!”
Rouse responded to one comment in a follow-up video showing the man texting his family about her before freezing in on the offending message.
Another video show’s the man with his back to Rouse, who claims that he “won’t even think in my direction.”
Unfortunately, Rouse is not the only person to suffer rude behavior from fellow passengers.
In September 2022, ex-biotech engineer Zachary Easterly was fired from his job at GlaxoSmithKline after videos emerged showing him yelling racist and homophobic slurs while being removed from a flight in Philadelphia.
Other rude behavior, including physically assaulting flight attendants, people letting their younger children run wild and even all-out brawls over luggage space have also seen a rise in frequency.
