By Brittany Jones Cooper
Published September 04, 2014
Last week, the travel world went into a frenzy over a little $22 device called the knee defender that caused quite the scuffle on a United Airlines flight. The plastic attachment clips onto the seat, and prevents the person sitting in front of you from reclining. It is banned by most U.S. carriers, yet a man tried to use it on a flight and really annoyed the woman in front of him. Words were exchanged, drinks were thrown, and eventually the plane was diverted to Chicago and the two offenders were taken off of the plane.
The knee defender is just one of the many obnoxious travel accessories on the market today. We’ve gathered up a few others that will definitely drive your fellow passengers bonkers.
1. B-Tourist
- First, you have to loop it around the seat in front of you which is sure to p*ss off the person sitting there. Secondly, do you have to unhook the entire thing if someone gets up to go the bathroom? And finally, if the seat behind you has a TV on it, it would be blocked by your stupid tent.
- The B-Tourist was designed by graduates of the Bezalel Academy of Art and Design in Israel, a program that clearly encourages anti-social behavior. We admit that the added privacy could be nice for sleeping, reading, or eating, but the entire accessory has some major flaws.
2. Ostrich Pillow
- Choosing to wear this contraption in public means that the person is either super confident or slightly unstable. So while other passengers on a plane would certainly be annoyed that you are wearing this Ostrich pillow and blocking their view of the window, chances are they won’t say anything for fear of a backlash. If you are so tired that wearing this seems like a good idea, don’t let us stand in your way.
3. Seatback Travel Organizer
Zen Class
- This next accessory is for the organized traveler. However, unless you are moving into seat 16E, there is no reason why a flyer should need this much stuff on a plane.
4. trayGUARD
trayGUARD.com
- We get it—germs are gross. And honestly, the trayGUARD is a decent idea. Still, it’s sure to annoy your seatmate for one major reason—they don’t have one. When you pull this out and politely slip it on your tray, your neighbor will be reminded of how dirty their tray is. They’ll eat their peanuts while risking the flu, while you dine in your germ free bubble. Be prepared for some dirty looks.
5. Beam N Read LED Light
Beam N Read
- If you find that the overhead bulb doesn’t provide enough light to read your book, it is still not ok to use this. This LED light will illuminate your Jane Austen novel while simultaneously blinding your neighbor. Just take a nap like everyone else.
6. Plane Sheets
Plane Sheets
- Now things have gotten out of control. Have you ever put a slipcover on a couch? It’s almost impossible. The fit is never right, and you can spend an hour just trying to get all of the corners and creases in the right place. We equate that frustrating experience to trying to fit a plane sheet to your seat while others are trying to board. The effort it takes to maneuver this unnecessary attachment while other people are trying to take their seat, will surely make you the most hated person on your flight. Ain’t nobody got time for that.