One Australian woman had an awkward encounter with the person next to her when they saw what she was watching. Photo / 123rf
One Australian woman had an awkward encounter with the person next to her when they saw what she was watching. Photo / 123rf
Air travel often involves compromising your privacy and comfort as you travel from A to B. One Australian woman’s recent experience shows what can happen when those boundaries are crossed by your fellow passengers.
Jess* had just boarded her flight from Bali to Sydney and was getting ready to enjoy some in-flight entertainment as she settled in for the six-hour flight.
But her movie of choice, Magic Mike’s Last Dance- which is loaded with raunchy scenes and a racy plotline - was bound to turn some heads on the packed flight home.
Jess was careful about her choice and mindful of those around her, but she decided that it was safe to watch. “I checked whether there might be any kids around,” she explained.
Eventually, Jess was encapsulated by the third installment of the Channing Tatum film franchise.
The movie flashed through scenes from oiled performers suggestively dancing in varying places to Salma Hayek and Tatum getting down in the kitchen, with enough character development for people to claim it has an engaging storyline.
Overall, Jess was happy with the film and was enjoying the entertainment. However, this all changed about a third of the way into the movie when she was passed a note by the lady next to her (who’d been eyeing up the screen for some time now).
“She tapped me on the shoulder and gave me a piece of paper,” Jess said to Kidspot about the ordeal.
“I accepted it without even glancing down to see what was written. When I’d taken a quick look, the shock hit me and I went silent. Up until that moment, we’d had very little interactions, so it really caught me by surprise.”
Feeling taken aback by the note and not wanting to read it while the woman watched, Jess put it into her bag and left to go to the bathroom. “I just kept thinking, ‘Why me? It HAD to be me’,” she recounted.
Once she made it to the privacy of the plane’s bathroom, Jess looked over the note and realised that it was asking her to recognise that she’s a ‘sinner’, repent, and seek forgiveness from Jesus.
The woman continued to watch 'Magic Mike's Last Dance' despite the note. Photo / Youtube
The note read as follows:
“If you want to accept His offer you may pray this prayer:
“Dear Lord Jesus, I realise I am a sinner and I believe you bled and died to pay the price for my sin. I believe that you rose from the dead and you live forevermore. Please forgive me and come into my heart and save my soul. I pray this in Jesus’ name, Amen.
“Dear Friend, if you would like:
To study the Bible
Someone to pray for you
Help with a personal problem
Someone to visit you
Join a youth group
A Bible
“Please do not hesitate to let me know.”
Jess went back to her seat and decided to continue to watch the movie, choosing to ignore the contents of the message.
“It definitely did NOT get through to me,” Jess emphatically said. “I’m not hugely religious; I grew up Catholic but as an adult, my views have changed.”
Still, the woman next to her continued to try and sway her views. Sometime afterwards, the woman opened up a discussion about faith and morality with Jess.
As the woman ‘lectured’ her about why she “needed the guidance of God” to protect her from “the evils of Satan”, Jess begrudgingly listened.
“I sat there in disbelief. We had a way to go and it was already very late in the day. It was the last thing I wanted to be hearing. I think in any other circumstance, I might have been up for the debate, but all I wanted to do was relax and get home,” she said.
Jess stood her ground. She remained polite but was not deterred by the woman. “So I nodded, put my headphones back on and ignored her the rest of the flight.”
“I’ve had my fair share of interesting conversations on flights and they make for funny stories. So long as I’ve checked to see whether there are any children nearby who might catch a glimpse, I’ll continue to watch any movie I please.
“It’s part of the in-flight entertainment for a reason! In fact, should they make a fourth Magic Mike, I’ll be sure to watch it on my next trip.”
