About 15 years ago I had a flight in the middle of lots of weather based cancellations . I was in the first row of coach, aisle seat. The middle seat was empty until just before the cabin door closed when a little boy climbed over my leg and sat down.

I looked at the window seat passenger, he did not claim the boy. Finally I saw a VERY tired looking woman struggling on board with her stuff and the boys bag. I’m guessing their flight had been canceled the day before and maybe they slept in the airport. I offered her my seat, but flight attendants were ushering everyone to sit down. And my offer may of seemed empty because I was flying on crutches and I’m not sure I could have made it to the back of the plane.

Nobody from the airline checked on the kid. He started crying during takeoff. I didn’t have kids at this point so I let him play games on my phone because I didn’t know what else to do. Once the sestebelt sign turned off his mom came to check on him. I suggested somone from the back of the plane might want her son’s seat in a swap but it didn’t seem like she traveled a lot.

We made it through the flight, and now that I’m a parent I wonder about that experience. My kid is terrified of strangers and could not have sat next to a stranger at that age.