Photo:Getty; Manuel Romano/NurPhoto via Getty

Controversial Plane Phone Hack

Getty; Manuel Romano/NurPhoto via Getty

Aplanepassenger’s hack for holding up her smartphone to watch videos didn’t land smoothly onTikTok.

Ida Augustashared footageof herself and a fellow traveler using the headrest covers from the seats in front of theirs to suspend their phones at eye level for a hands-free viewing experience on a recent flight.

In the clip, the women quickly flip the covers to the back before the passengers occupying those seats have boarded their Norwegian Air flight. They then remove their phone cases to secure the fabric between their phones and cases, before snapping them back on.

The text on the video simply reads “Airplane hack,” while the post is captioned, “Did you know?”

Getty

A view of an empty airplane cabin.

Commenters were quick to call out the boldness of using an item intended for a neighboring seat without asking for permission.

“Maybe ask someone before touching their designated things,” one person wrote.Some also noted that the headrest covers are there for hygienic purposes and shouldn’t be moved.

Thiago Prudencio/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty

A Norwegian Air Shuttle airplane

“This is wildly rude- those sheets are for hygiene reasons and you’re taking those away from the people in front of you,” read another comment.

Whetherreclining one’s seaton a plane is rude to the passenger sitting behind has been a longstanding etiquette debate itself.

When PEOPLEspoke withtravel expert, writer and advisor Nicole Campoy Jackson of Fora Travel in September, Jackson weighed in on the divisive topic.

“I’m not in the no-reclining school of thought, but I think we can recline with courtesy and understanding that we’re all in tight quarters,” she said.

Jackson suggested taking a glance at the person behind you before making any moves after takeoff.

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“If their laptop is out or they have a drink on the table, now is not a great time to recline and it certainly wouldn’t be okay to do so without giving them a head’s up,” she said.

And there is one time you shouldneverrecline, she says.

Jackson noted, “During mealtimes, definitely bring your seat back up if you have reclined it.”

source: people.com