Sky High Waterworks

Apparently, it’s a “thing”. Crying on planes. I thought it was just me but turns out there has been some studies on this strange phenomenon. One study done with Virgin Airlines some years back found that over half of respondents admitted to sudden welling up whilst up in the air.

This article is not going to go into detail about why (anxiety, stress, leaving a loved one, being surrounded by strangers, claustrophobia etc) or how it occurs. You can read all about that online elsewhere. As this is my personal journal, this piece is about the times it has happened to me, which is almost every flight I’ve taken, in different measures, and particularly about the ones that struck me as a little bit unusual, to say the least.

In-flight entertainment is an obvious trigger. Sure, it’s commonplace if you choose to watch a tear-jerker, but how about laugh out loud comedy, or even more odd, horror?

On a recent flight I cried when I watched that most terrifying horror flick of the last decade, “The Conjuring”. There is nothing, I repeat, nothing, that could induce one to cry tears of sadness watching it. But I cried, when the Nun, the ugliest of demons ever put to film, lunged at poor Vera Fermiga. Essentially right towards the viewer – meaning in this instance, me. The thing is, my tears were undoubtedly emotional tears of sadness, not tears brought about by terror. I could feel it. Not being able to pinpoint what made me cry was most puzzling.

This incident played out in my mind for some time. How did this happen? I decided to put it to the test on another flight and watch another film of a similar ilk, the demonic classic, “The Exorcist”. This was the most terrifying film I watched when I was a teenager. NOTHING in this film can make you cry.

Well, it happened again. The moment the possessed Linda Blair’s head span right around looking at her mother, the waterworks came. Little sobs – but I had a blank brain with no sad thoughts! What was happening?

Perhaps drinking wine or a cocktail at full altitude causes emotion to exacerbate? God knows I love to drink on planes. And those flight attendants sure like to give you a stiff one. Plus there are such good wines to be had!

Don’t get me wrong. I actually really like a good cry, most of the time. I always feel so much better after it. Crying on planes, however, always strikes me suddenly with no known trigger. Therefore, I am left bewildered and a little embarrassed. And don’t think the eagle-eyed flight attendants don’t see you. They do – the good ones. On the good airlines. They most certainly do. The loveliest of these attendants come by and sometimes gather all around you, shielding you from the gaze of other passengers, asking “is everything alright?”, “Is there anything we can get you?”. They are actually drawing more attention your way, or at least it feels that way.

Explaining you are watching a sad movie doesn’t cut it either, when they glance over and see possessed Linda crawling down the stairs backwards on her hands and feet, like a demented spider, or throwing her mother across the room in fits of demonic rage.

“Is everything alright?”, “Is there anything we can get you?”

So, obviously I purposely choose not to watch any films that may cause tears to flow. Any films involving pets, particularly dying ones, are the biggest no-no. I began watching “Marley & Me” on one flight, only to find myself in the bathroom at the three quarter mark sobbing uncontrollably, returning to my seat, the film paused, but the tears still flowing. Back to the bathroom I went, again and again.

Sure enough, a gentle knock on the door from one, but possibly all, of the flight attendants: “is everything alright?”, “Is there anything we can get you?”

I’ve given up trying to work out why this occurs to me so regularly mid-flight. Having spoken to many others about it, it appears the consensus is that it’s not so unusual after all. Although there has been some surprise at my film choices. Others appear to enjoy it too, to a degree. Way up there in the air, it seems the choices you make are more important than ever to keep control and save face.