Back in the spring, as Covid-19 induced lockdowns hit the United States and Europe, many airplanes were flying at severely reduced capacity as travel plans were canceled and people retreated into their homes.

Data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) suggested that incidents involving unruly passengers were rising pre-pandemic.

But one thing's for certain, now that almost everyone carries a smart phone, we've seen more and more videos of brawling passengers splashed across social media, which has drawn further attention to the issue.

Covid-19 has changed the face of flying, with passenger tensions possibly higher than ever due to fears surrounding the virus. New regulations such as compulsory face masks add to the list of potential points of conflict.

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I mean, Jesus Christ we’ve literally got Disneyland employees getting punched in the face over mask enforcement. First of all, can you imagine ever being in a situation where BOTH your mom AND your dad punched someone in the face? I can’t! It would always be one or the other. Maybe it’s because they got divorced  so I suddenly I was “the other” but I always remember dad leaning out the window giving the double bird to a taxi driver while I held the wheel. It’s useful to have a second party there to check your rage. Unless, of course, you’re being asked to wear a mask to save lives, in which case it’s nice to have a second party to help you beat the shit out of an essential worker who’s making minimum wage to load your fat ass onto a roller coaster.  ‘

Second, if that’s happening at 6 flags, or a dollar store, or a Chili’s, it’s happening on an airplane. You think young Antonia Montana takes an edible and adderall if she’s not feeling a little nervous about flying in the middle of a global pandemic? If wearing a mask yourself in a tube of recirculated air and secondhand plague isn’t stressing you out, then I’m sure worrying whether your seatmate is sneaking maskless puffs while you’re asleep probably is. 

Is the pandemic making people act like assholes on planes? Well I dunno. You’re putting a bunch of people who don’t want to follow the rules, in a small metal tube with the people who are nervous enough that they are doing drugs to the point of literal hallucination. That’s not the greatest recipe for kumbaya I’ve ever seen, that’s for sure.