"Reclined your seat on a 45-minute flight"
The sacrifice gained you 2 inches. The person behind lost 2 inches, their tray table, and their goodwill toward humanity.
I. · The Catalog
371 redeemable indiscretions.
Search by name, category, or severity. Updated weekly by people who care more than they should.
"Stood up the instant the plane landed"
The fasten-seatbelt sign was still on. You were committed. You went nowhere for 9 minutes.
"Blocked the luggage carousel to watch for your bag"
The bags emerge from the same slot for everyone. There was room behind you. You chose the front.
"Said "we should visit!" to someone in another country and did not visit"
You said it warmly. You meant it vaguely. The visit never materialized. It was never going to materialize.
"Overpacked for a weekend trip"
Three nights. Four bags. An outfit for every scenario including a gala you were not invited to.
"Took photos of art in a gallery when signs said not to"
The sign was polite but clear. You felt the rules applied to other people. The art silently disagreed.
"Complained about a country's food while visiting that country"
You traveled to experience a culture. The culture offered you its cuisine. You ordered the chicken.
"Used your carry-on to take up an entire overhead bin"
A bag and a coat. Both overhead. Both yours. Six people behind you watched and calculated.
"Applied strong cologne before boarding a 9-hour flight"
You are sealed in a metal tube with 200 people for 9 hours. This was a choice about all of you.
"Talked about your trip to anyone who would listen for three weeks after returning"
You went. You saw things. The things were meaningful to you. By week two, the meaningful things had been told to the same people twice.
"Took up the armrest immediately and held it for the entire flight"
The armrest exists in disputed territory. You resolved the dispute unilaterally, in the first thirty seconds, and maintained control for four hours.
"Left a hotel room in a state you would never leave your own home in"
A person will enter that room after you. A person with a job and feelings. You left them a situation.