PTravel

I don't know if I appeared to be sleeping or not -- my eyes were, however, closed. My beef, however, was a combination of the way in which the FA closed the shade, the fact that she assumed that, even if I was sleeping, it wouldn't matter to me if the shade was closed, but, mostly, her attitude after I told her that I wanted it open.

I hope she learned that passengers have diverse needs and giving them attitude because she doesn't understand them is inappropriate.

Of course, that's a completely inaccurate description of the reclining issue, but also irrelevant to my point.

Droneklax

I do not believe that there is a valid medical condition requiring shades to be up. I may be wrong, but I think it's a personal preference. The issue is that the window may be yours but light will affect the entire cabin. Peeking once in a while is fine and frankly I can live with it. I love watching the scenery as well.

I'm sorry, I just see this "I'm keeping my shades up and screw you people" attitude primarily as obnoxious behavior.

Sort of like playing a boombox on board and asking people to wear earplugs.

I would die of embarrassment if I were the only one with my window shade up. Again, yes I have a window seat but the light affects the entire cabin.

I don't know. My mother brought me up that way.

P.S. I do not dismiss the FAs' vested interest in making sure the shades are down. It'll put people to sleep. It's an old trick, along with cranking the temp up.

PTravel

Okay, for the sake of argument I'll validate this rather ridiculous analogy by pointing out that both nose-pickers and farters have a nice private space in which they can do both to their medically-mandated heart's content.

Okay, please read carefully:

Compromise consists of partially lowering the shade, ensuring that there isn't sunlight shining directly on other passengers or on the television screens, not slamming open the shade, etc. That is courteous behavior. Blindly insisting (pun intended) that passengers with a range of valid needs simply suffer in darkness is not courteous behavior, any more than a recliner who says, "I don't care if your knees are crushed, I'm going to recline fully" is engaging in courteous behavior.

robb

And the exit door portals don't satisfy your need for a view?

PTravel

No. Jet lag adjustment requires continuous exposure to day light. As for my flying phobia, I need the view most during turbulence when I'm not permitted to get up. Eye shades don't satisfy your need for darkness?

noturbulence

a bit OT: I wish that I had ever experienced that on a flight before - perhaps it is only me but I always find temperatures on any airplane way too low, usually having to wear a pullover or something similar plus using a blanket whenever available to keep me from freezing

noturbulence

Exactly, that is also for me the very time when I really need to look out of the window most - closed shades during bumpy flying conditions really give me the creeps

USCGamecock

WOW ! Some scary posts in this thread. I'm glad the posters sugar-coated their thoughts and actions and didn't tell us how they really feel.

Exit stage right.

PTravel

I always thought I was the only person who reacted to flying this way. One of the gratifying things about this thread is that I've learned there are at least three of us.

obscure2k

Make that four

roadkit

For all of you "shades-closed, I love living like a mushroom" advocates, better get your silly asses on the phone to Boeing pronto.

You do know they are putting BIGGER WINDOWS on the dreamliner, right?

Christ, youo could solve this whole problem by having them remove the windows entirely! Problem solved.

Flyingfox

Wow, this is one of my BIGGEST pet peaves.

This has happened to me on several occasions in international F - right after dinner or lunch (and sometimes during the dessert course), the FA comes by and closes the shade. I stop them and tell them that I want it open, and they usually comply. I have re-opened it before when they've closed it.

Last time on China Airlines in F in row 1 (with my wife in the other "row 1" seat), an FA went to close it and I told her I wanted it open (I was still EATING lunch, the flight left around 1 PM!). She then said "the man in row 2 wants it closed, he wants to sleep". I then told her he can get the eye shades out of his amenity kit if he wants it dark, but she INSISTED that I close the shade. I did comply, and the guy was glaring at me and getting all huffy-puffy. I've thought about it and next time I am going to insist right back that I keep my shade open until I've at least finished with my meal. I think when you've paid $7000 RT you should at least be given this courtesy.
I thought that guy was a jerk for not using his eye shades - what, the whole cabin has to go dark because HE wants to skip lunch and sleep?

TMOliver

I've been flying internationally (if not offten enough) since 1956 and remember when a lot of a/c didn't even have window shades. I certainly don't recall the "Close the shades!" drill until modern times. If one could go to sleep over the clatter of four turbo compound radial swinging big props, the light level didn't matter. In fact, back then folks needed light, what with half of them making sure their chins fit in the barf bags, while some of the others were trying to read their prayer books. Of course, the flights may have taken a lot longer, but shucks, dinner on PanAm took about 4 hours to get through (before the after dinner drinks).

ksandness

Not when, as on that KIX-ORD flight, the FA told me to keep the shade down--on the exit door--at 8AM after an overnight flight just as they were starting to serve their pseudo-breakfast.

Punki

There seem to be quite a few folks who need the window open to comfort their reactions to turbulence. Most FAs frown on passengers leaving their seats, even to use the lav, during turbulence.

There actually were no window shades on the plane we flew yesterday. It was a Bombardier Q400 felt a little bit like Concorde. It got me wondering if the shades came down on Concorde. I don't rmember any shades pulled on Concorde, but maybe that because the FAs were too busy actually serving customers to worry about shades. Maybe the customers were too busy actually enjoying the food and the flight to worry about shades.