who gets to control the airplane window shade?

Last week, I was flying from Chicago to Denver, and as usual, I picked a window seat because looking outside calms my nerves. I know, it sounds silly, but I get pretty anxious on planes, and seeing the clouds or the ground below just helps me breathe easier. About an hour into the flight, I suddenly felt the window shade slide down. I turned and realized the person behind me had reached forward and closed it! I was a bit shocked—wasn’t the window shade for the person in the window seat? I opened it back up, thinking maybe it was a mistake, but a few minutes later, they closed it again. I tried to explain, as politely as I could, that I really needed the shade open to keep my anxiety in check. They just shrugged and ignored me. At that point, I was frustrated and honestly a little embarrassed. I ended up flagging down a flight attendant, who thankfully told the person behind me to stop. After that, I didn’t see or hear from them again—maybe they switched seats, who knows. Has anyone else run into this kind of thing? I always thought the window seat came with the right to control the shade, but maybe I’m missing something. I can’t be the only one who gets anxious and needs that little bit of control, right? #airplanewindow #travelstories #anxiousflyer #Travel