Traveling by aircraft is not for everyone. Nevertheless, on a trip from Oklahoma City to Chicago, one mother’s “worst nightmare” came true, and it featured an unfriendly passenger.

When Savannah Phillips travels by plane, she loves to sit alone in a row. It’s not because she dislikes interacting with people. Savannah revealed in a Facebook post that it is due to a fear of being judged.

“I’m not the largest person on the plane, but I’m also not the tiniest. My biggest dread is that someone is unhappy because they have to sit next to me.”

Then there was a moment when Savannah couldn’t select her seat. She was instead seated next to an older gentleman wearing yellow sunglasses.
Savannah was able to get to the window seat since the man stood up. He appeared to be in his fifties and mentioned that he was a comedian. But what he did next was far from amusing.

Even before they drove out, the passenger showed his evil side.
Savannah stated in her blog:

“The flight attendant began the safety briefing, and he took out his phone” (with huge font and the screen brightness turned all the way up). His phone was about 12 inches from my face, and he texted someone that he was seated next to “a stinking obese.”

Savannah was surprised and understandably upset by the short text. In reality, she was unable to finish it.
“I have no idea what the remainder of his text stated. I turned my head as quickly as I could. I was taken aback, and it felt like confirmation of the negative thoughts I had about myself on a regular basis. Before I knew it, hot, salty tears were streaming down my cheeks. I sat and sobbed silently, hoping this guy wouldn’t attempt small talk since I wasn’t sure how I’d respond and didn’t want to get thrown off the plane. ” I was devastated.”

Thankfully, another traveler seated nearby realized what was happening.
Chase Irwin from Nashville also read the man’s heinous statement and could see Savannah was angry about it. He promptly filmed a short video of the man and posted it on social media with the caption:

“This guy just texted his wife that he is sitting next to a stinky fatty and is about to puke.” I saw her read his text, and she is now looking sorrowful.”

He wasn’t going to sit around and do nothing.
Chase’s heart was crushed as he watched Savannah weeping in her seat. Inside Edition said that he felt “sick to his stomach” as well. Chase acted as if he were a hero in disguise.

Chase patted Savannah’s seatmate on the shoulder and said, “Hey, I need to talk to you.”
Soon the guy removed his earbuds, and that’s when Chase told him, “We are swapping seats. Now.”

According to Savannah, the man was perplexed as to why he was being asked to exchange seats, but Chase explained:

“You’re messaging about her, and I’m not going to put up with it.”

He was truly her idol.
After the bullying, Chase sat down next to Savannah, put his arm around her, and tried to comfort her. In her article, the mother stated:

“He told me not to let that person get to me and that everything would be alright. We discussed Ross and the kids, his two-year-old son, and our work, among other things.”

She continued, saying:

“I told him thank you for what he did and that it meant the world to me—and that he would be my husband’s new favorite person. The flight attendant continued offering him complimentary drinks and telling him he was her idol. He wasn’t hers; he was mine.”

Savannah’s tale went viral when she shared the good Samaritan’s gesture on Facebook.
The mother thanked Chase for being her guardian angel on the plane, and many other people expressed gratitude. Someone wrote:

“Thank you for being the gentleman and hero that you are, Chase!” Savannah, you are stunning, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise! Keep your head held high and stay strong!”

Someone else mentioned:

“This tale gives me hope that we can change how we perceive individuals based on their appearance. This man is a fantastic example of how we, as individuals, can help to bring about change! Wonderful tale!”

Inside Edition interviews Savannah and Chase about the issue in the video below. Thank heavens for compassionate strangers on this planet!