- Tammy Nelson refused to give up her plane seat to a mother who wanted to sit with her children.
- Nelson, who owns a jewelry brand, drew mixed reactions after posting a TikTok about her experience.
A woman who refused to give up her plane seat for a mother who wanted to sit with her children has divided TikTok. While most people supported her for refusing the mother's request, others said she could have been more empathetic and understanding.
Tammy Nelson, the CEO of the jewelry brand ConqueRing, shared her experience on a plane in a TikTok posted on Monday.
Newsweek reported that Nelson was on a Delta Air Lines flight from Cincinnati to San Jose, California, when a woman asked to switch plane seats with her. The outlet did not specify when Nelson was on the plane or when the encounter with the mother and children happened.
"I got on the plane and a woman was sitting in my seat and when I mentioned it to her, she said, 'Oh, you want to sit here? I thought we could switch because these are my kids' (she points to the two seats next to mine)," the caption on Nelson's TikTok post read.
"I said, "As long as it's a window seat, I'm happy to switch." She points to the row behind us and says, "Mine is right there." (It's the middle seat)," the caption continued.
Nelson said in her TikTok that she disagreed with the mother's request. She said she only had "90 minutes of sleep the night before" and "desperately needed some sleep" before an upcoming presentation.
Nelson said that the children "looked like they were about 11 and 15 years old" and that the mother "was in arms-reach of both of them" if she stayed in her original seat.
However, Nelson said the mother was not pleased that her request had been rejected.
"The mom proceeded to complain for at least 15 minutes to the person next to her loud enough for me to hear. But the woman actually defended me – several times," Nelson wrote in her TikTok post.
"It was so kind and I appreciated it so much because I was feeling really guilty," Nelson continued, adding a face-palm emoji and the hashtag "#airplanekarens" to her post.
Nelson's TikTok has since gone viral. The post was viewed more than 1.9 million times and received more than 3,800 comments.
There was a mixed reception to Nelson's post in the comments section.
"Don't feel bad at all. no one's obligated to help out or be kind for others lack of planning," a user named Lindsey Walcott wrote.
"The amount of families who aren't paying to select their seats together is mind blowing! You were 100% right to not give up your seat," another user named KelliGiffordGarcia commented.
But some accused Nelson of not empathizing with the mother's situation.
"I think you're rude. Lol like what if it was your kids? Put yourself in someone else's shoes?" a TikTok user named Corrrrrrin wrote.
"Nah, sounds like you're looking for attention. I guess it's the good mom in me that would happily make the switch for the kids' sake," a TikTok user named Ashley commented.
Representatives for Nelson and Delta Air Lines did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent outside regular business hours.
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