Southwest Passenger Ends Up on Nearly Empty Flight, But Can't Believe Where His One Fellow Passenger Decides to Sit

We've all been in a situation in an empty movie theater, public restroom, or parking lot when another human invades and sits, stands, or parks right next to us. It can be maddening, to say the least. And it happened to a Southwest passenger who had the "luxury" of a mostly empty empty flight, only to have one of the two other sole passengers decide to sit directly behind him.

"Imagine having the luxury of boarding a flight with only two passengers on it," posted Washington DC-based Chef Anthony Thomas on X. "Of all the seats on the flight, look where he decided to sit."

It didn't take long for the post to go viral, as it clearly resonated with people, gaining over 23 million views and counting in less than 24 hours. "I think these people are extremely codependent," remarked one user, while another quipped: "I'd move to the seat right next to him."

Interestingly enough, there's a psychological reason why some people tend to exhibit this behavior, which is known as "flocking" or "herding" in human beings.

In 2017, the Telegraph UK attempted to get to the root of why people do this, in an article titled: "What incomprehensible urge drives people to sit right next to me in empty places?"

"Under any kind of pressure—even as slight as picking a spot for lunch or [on the beach], we head towards the familiar," writes author Lucy Mangan. "Doubtless there are sound evolutionary reasons for this. On the windswept savannah it would make sense to huddle with any Neanderthal who got there before you and look out for danger together."

However, in a setting such as, say, a cafe that does not pose the threat of danger, Mangan suggests: "Please, take yourself and your outmoded survival instincts and move them at least three cheap leather sofas down."

Suffice to say, that mentality goes for flights, as well.