‘Literally almost worked’: Two friends on a flight conspire to save the plane seat in between them by inventing an imaginary passenger

The art of trying to deflect strangers from sitting next to you on public transportation is one that many people work hard to perfect. Unfortunately, folks in need of a seat are immune to even the most ostentatious displays of anti-social behavior, so it doesn’t often work (you don’t want to know what my go-to is, let’s just say I’m banned from most airlines and leave it at that). That’s why sometimes you need to get really creative, as in the case of these two TikTok besties.

TikTok user Tina Dreher and her pal, Haley, lucked out in getting a spare seat to themselves on their flight — only for the cabin crew to spoil the fun when they announced the plane was 99% full and they were going to have to fill in all the empty seats. The only thing left for Tina and Haley to do was to take drastic action. Dressing their arms in a hoodie and then holding some headphones under the hood, the pair were able to create the uncanny likeness of someone sitting in the middle seat between them… provided they keep their arms down and made it look like their imaginary friend was sleeping.

Tragically it seems like it was all for naught as Tina suggests their scheme was found out eventually. “Literally almost worked,” she wrote in her caption. Success might’ve alluded them, but hey, 20/10 for effort!

Were Tina and Haley displaying deficient airplane decorum by preventing some poor passenger from finding a seat? Yes. Does their sheer feat of ingenious imagination overwhelm their crime? Also yes. The population of TikTok, anyway, is totally on the dynamic duo’s side — even those in the business. “As a flight attendant…i would help y’all out until the very last passenger, this is hilarious,” wrote one commenter. Another joked: “Sooo that’s why I had to get off.”

Others might’ve done a double-take if they were on Tina and Haley’s plane. “Tell me why I thought you were pulling a scooby doo moment and it was a dog,” someone else shared, while another admitted, “Why did I think it was an Ostrich at first.” Ah yes, the old “smuggle on ostrich on board to save a seat” ploy, it never fails.

Some, meanwhile, couldn’t help but think the commitment to the bit would’ve been more effort than it’s worth: “That’s brilliant but like, for how many hours do you have to act like it was taken… what if a flight attendant passes next to y’all.” There have got to be easier ways to repel strangers, right? Well, it turns out there are. One commenter revealed how their personal tactic: “My husband and I do this. We don’t make eye contact with a soul, and get into a heated discussion until doors close.”

A 2012 study from Yale University’s Esther Kim detailed the many ways travelers deter others from sitting next to them, which she dubbed “non-social transient behavior.” Popular options included avoiding making eye contact, piling bags on the empty seat, and even “looking out the window with a blank stare to look crazy.” As Tina and Haley discovered, though, it turns out all you need is some extreme puppetry skills. This is why Jim Henson never had to sit next to a stranger in his life.