A French company has patented your worst nightmare.

For reasons yet unknown to the public, someone/someones thought it would be a good idea to design a new seating plan for planes. Presumably to get more people on every flight. Presumably to reduce air fares (because that pesky weight limit we’ve been told about apparently doesn’t really exist). Presumably these someones don’t ever intend on flying again.

This is the mock up of their proposed seating layout. The blue figures indicate people sitting in the the “normal” seating arrangement; the red figures indicate people who’s blood is boiling at having to sit backwards and so close to everyone else.

In this new configuration, rows will be able to seat four people in less space, as opposed to the now standard three (unless it’s one of those larger planes, with the middle row, which already seats four). As an added bonus, the two people in the middle are trapped for the duration of the flight. As if slipping by a stranger wasn’t already incredibly awkward, if this new seating plan goes into production, people will literally have to climb over each other to get out. And instead of staring at a TV screen to pass the time, you get to stare directly into the eyes of another passenger. What joy!

If you think the seating itself is just too close together, you only have to worry if you have both hands. So, great news for people with no hands.

Bottom line: this is terrible and can’t happen.