A 25-year-old passenger in the US says she faced a deeply distressing situation during a United Airlines flight when, according to her account, she realized that the man sitting next to her was masturbating.
The woman says the incident took place on a flight from Rochester, New York, to Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey. Speaking to NBC, the 25-year-old, who works as a child therapist, said the man was about 35 to 40 years old and seemed “fairly normal” and “discreet.”
According to her description, he was wearing hiking pants and a T-shirt. She says that as soon as she realized what was happening, she immediately informed United Airlines staff.
“They told me there were no other seats”
According to her complaint, the crew initially allowed her to stand for about an hour. However, as the plane prepared to land and she had to return to her seat, the woman says she was told there were no other seats available. “On multiple occasions, I said I was uncomfortable with this,” she said.
She says the staff told her she would only need to sit next to the man for about five minutes, until the landing was completed. However, because their seats were at the back of the aircraft, the 25-year-old says she had to stay next to him for much longer while waiting for the other passengers to get off the plane.
“What do you expect me to do about it?”
The woman also says the man left the aircraft without, as she claims, facing any immediate consequences for the behavior she attributes to him. When she later approached a gate agent and voiced her concerns, she says she was told: “What do you expect me to do about it?”
After the incident, the 25-year-old filed complaints with United Airlines and the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and, according to her, also contacted the FBI.
United’s response
The passenger says United representatives reached out to her, but she described the language they used as “offensive” and “victim-blaming.”
According to her, an email she received from the airline stated: “I can imagine how upsetting and uncomfortable it must have been to experience behavior from another passenger that caused you concern, especially while seated in a spot where you felt uneasy.”
The woman replied that she had already moved away from her seat and had asked for help. “Describing public self-gratification as ‘behavior that caused me concern’ suggests that what happened could somehow be considered acceptable,” she said. “This is the first time I have felt that people who were supposed to be there to help me deliberately trapped me,” she added.
The 25-year-old also said United Airlines offered her a $100 credit toward a future flight, while her original trip had cost about $400. United Airlines has launched an investigation into the complaint.
A company spokesperson told People: “We are looking into this report, but we have nothing further to share at this time.”
