A Black passenger flying from Puerto Rico to Atlanta, Georgia called out a man texting racist remarks about her to his family in a viral video posted to TikTok yesterday.
In the video, which has been viewed 13.2 million times as of Sunday, user Taila (@taila.thecreator) decided to speak up in the middle of the four-hour flight, feeling uncomfortable after spotting the messages the man sent.
In her video’s caption, she revealed that he complained about sitting near Black and queer people on flights and that he hoped that companies would raise airfare in order to “weed out” those people.
@taila.thecreator Sitting next to a racist on my four hour flight from Puerto Rico to Atlanta this week. Yes I could’ve minded my own business, but why should I let him slide? I happened to glance over and see the words “big black woman” so I continued reading. He and his family went on and on about the woes of being stuck sitting next to Black and gay people. Then I see this man say he hopes airlines continue to raise prices so these people get weeded out. If you’re gonna be bold enough to pull your phone out in the middle seat of an airplane and freely talk disrespectfully about Black people, then I’m going to be bold enough to say something to you. What would you have done? #traveltiktok #racistoftheday #racistencounter #airplanedrama #travelingwhileblack #blacktravelfeed ♬ original sound – Taila • Travel Tips
“I want you to know that I saw your text messages, and I think you’re disgusting,” Taila told the man, keeping the camera turned towards herself.
“What text messages?” he asked.
“I’m not going to repeat it,” Taila said. “But I want you to know that I know. I saw you, and I think that you’re disgusting.”
When the passenger offered nothing in response, she referenced his comment about weeding people out.
“Maybe if they raise prices, maybe you wouldn’t be able to afford to sit with your family, that way they don’t have to sit next to black people,” she told him.
The man then apologized, which Taila dismissed. “You don’t have to be sorry to me. You’re sorry because I saw it,” she said.
In a now-deleted comment under her video, a user asked, “What the f*ck we can’t even send texts to our family about how unpleasant you people are??”
@taila.thecreator Replying to @TXSM9999 ♬ original sound – Taila • Travel Tips
In a second video replying to that comment, Talia showed the passenger texting his family, saying that she started recording after “more than one racist/homophobic remark” was made.
“Not in the middle seat sitting next to me, no,” her video’s text overlay read.
Viewers commended Taila’s reaction to the passenger. “This is like the conversation you always have in your head after it happens and you wish you could go back in time to say it,” user KMA (@kmaddison) wrote. “But you did that!”
“This happened to me this week. Man was trying to take a picture of me,” another user revealed. “I told him if he doesn’t stop this was going to be the longest 2-hour flight!”
In a third video, Taila revealed that the man continued to sit next to her for the duration of the flight, though he “wouldn’t even think in my direction” the entire time.
@taila.thecreator Replying to @mamamimi1976 He wouldn’t even think in my direction when the plane landed. #racistsinthewild #airplaneencounters #blacktravelers #embarrassed ♬ original sound – Taila • Travel Tips
The Daily Dot reached out to Taila via Instagram direct message.
