Airline companies are constantly on the wing, trying to entice passengers.

Perhaps because its once-shining image has been dulled by a patina of troubles connected with cancelled flights, rude staffers and ‘customer’-staff skirmishes, IndiGo has put out a new enticement.

Women travelling by their airline can get to know who will be seated on either side of them, should they lucklessly end up in a middle seat. Actually, the offer says that women can choose seats next to women, if they want to.

Long years ago I remember taking a flight on an international airline from Frankfurt to Bombay (it was still called that.) I had given up my ticket on another airline for a passenger with an emergency to fly to India, and was allotted this airline instead.

On boarding I found to my dismay that I had lost the carefully selected window seat on the original flight, and was now seated in the central portion, between two men.

I asked the air hostess if she could give me a corner seat, whether one of the men could take my place.

She looked at me strangely, seeing a squeamish Indian woman, who possibly lived in some kind of purdah.

I, on the other hand, saw myself squashed between two men, who would think nothing of monopolising the hand rests, and spreading themselves to occupy ‘comfort space’, while I shrank deeper and deeper into mine to avoid any accidental, or intended contact.

I survived that flight without too much discomfort, and can count myself lucky in comparison to women who have been groped, assaulted or just harassed by men sitting alongside, or behind them on a long flight. It happens to women across the world.

Booze excuse

Most cases happen if the male passenger has reached a state where inebriation makes him cross the line of safety and he allows his baser self take over.

On flights within India however, this excuse is not available to men who run their toes along the arm of a woman in a seat ahead of them, or lean heavily in real or feigned sleep towards a lady passenger at their side.

Of course, there are many cases in the West of women suing the offender alongwith the airline for not taking action against a complaint, but Indian women, by and large, sigh and bear the discomfort, or worse.

According to the airline, when a female passenger taps into the seat selection segment during an on line check-in, seats already booked by women will show up as pink.

This remains hidden from male passengers. The airline claims this innovation is in keeping with its “Girl Power” ethos.

While the idea may, in practice, help many a woman enjoy a more comfortable ride, there are two aspects that come to mind.

One, that a large percentage of male travellers are really quite decent, and not on the look-out for a free feel at 35000 feet. In fact, some even sacrifice the comfort of the arm-rest in favour of a lady co-passenger.

Two, asking if a woman wants to sit next to another woman is a but like telling daughters to come home before dark, to protect themselves.

Many of the women who travel are part of the Indian work space, at various levels, and must have learnt to navigate the ways of working with and competing against male colleagues.

Surely then, handling a sneaky toe or a roaming hand must be much easier than facing a chauvinistic male boss or a nasty colleague!

Making a noise about it, or catching and shaming the offender, red handed is an option that might well work. Thieves and bullies cow down when opposed.

And for those who have been taught to avoid a scene at any cost, a sharp safety pin, pushed into the right portion of soft flesh can work quite a miracle. It’s an ancient secret, that handles like with like, stealth with stealth, and never fails. In fact it works better than choosing a pink seat!

The writer is a Consulting Editor with Penguin India