and indulge in a bit of petty revenge myself. I knew from previous flights and observing frequent travelers that sometimes, when you can’t get through to someone with words, a little creative action can make a difference.

Now, I’m not usually one for confrontations, and I believe that kindness goes a long way, but this woman had pushed my patience to the limit. I opened my bag and began to hatch a harmless but satisfying plan. My husband glanced at me with a puzzled expression, likely wondering what I was up to. I simply gave him a reassuring nod, signaling that I had everything under control.

As the flight began to settle into a steady cruise, the cabin lights dimmed, and most passengers were either dozing off or watching their in-flight entertainment. The woman behind us seemed oblivious to the world as she chatted animatedly with her friend, her feet still annoyingly perched on my husband’s seat.

I carefully retrieved a small packet of lotion from my bag. The scent was one I particularly liked—strong and floral. It was a favorite of mine, but I doubted it would have the same appeal to someone who was currently treating a shared public space like her own living room. I discreetly squirted a generous amount onto a tissue, ensuring it was thoroughly soaked.

With the precision of a seasoned traveler, I pretended to stretch, subtly turning and reaching over the back of my husband’s seat. In one swift motion, I pressed the lotion-soaked tissue onto the exposed part of the woman’s foot, swiping it quickly.

In an instant, she recoiled, letting out a surprised yelp that caught the attention of several nearby passengers. Her feet jerked back, finally retreating from my husband’s seat. She looked around, bewildered, trying to figure out what had just occurred. I acted as though I was engrossed in my book, a picture of innocence.

The cabin lights were low, and with no clear evidence of wrongdoing, the woman seemed flustered but unable to pinpoint the source of her discomfort. Her friend began whispering furiously, and I could hear snippets of their conversation, which involved words like “weird smell” and “something sticky.”

For the remainder of the flight, her feet remained firmly planted on the floor, much to my satisfaction. My husband looked at me with a mixture of amusement and admiration. We exchanged a knowing glance, and I couldn’t help but smile back.

The flight landed without further incident. As we gathered our belongings and prepared to disembark, the woman shot me a suspicious look, still unsure of what exactly transpired. I simply gave her a courteous smile, hoping that maybe, just maybe, she’d think twice about putting her feet up on someone else’s seat in the future.

This little act of petty revenge might not have changed her behavior permanently, but it certainly made for a more peaceful flight for my husband and me. Sometimes, the smallest acts can make the biggest difference, and in this case, a bit of floral-scented justice did the trick.