On a plane, there are few creature comforts. It’s kind of the bare minimum if you’re in coach. They give you a seat (kind of) and they give you a ride to your destination. On some airlines, they give you a free soda. On others, they give you a free meal. And if you’re super lucky, you get to watch a movie or two up there. There are so few stimuli on planes that you hold on dear to whatever they give you. You want that meal. You want that movie. And you want the full use of your tray table so you can hold everything.

Planes are also places where some people are more on edge than they usually are. Maybe they’re a little afraid of flying. Maybe they’ve been through stressful airport situations with the people they love and now they’re ready to leave them there. Maybe there’s a baby crying at a pitch that makes everyone uncomfortable.