A woman took to TikTok to share an expensive mistake she made while travelling on a plane with her new laptop.
Bringing laptops on flights is common for many passengers, as it allows them to stay productive during their travels. However, TikToker Sabrina Chakici faced significant damage to her brand-new Apple MacBook Pro due to a habitual action she has now advised against.
In her post on the popular social media app, Sabrina said: “PSA [public service announcement] to anyone who travels with their laptop on a plane. I cannot believe this happened to me, it happened yesterday so I’ve calmed down a little bit but I was full on crying yesterday on the plane.”
Her video then shows her lamenting over the recent gift from her boyfriend, which she had promptly encased in a protective cover, acting like a “responsible adult”.
Despite her precautions, the laptop’s screen was no match for a reclining aeroplane seat’s force. She added: “I was working away on the plane then I put it in the seat pocket in front of me, so where they have the escape route flyers and all that kind of stuff. This is a regular thing that I do, I’ve always travelled with my laptop, I always work on a plane and I always put my laptop in the seat pocket thingy.
“Now I’ve got this lovely brand new MacBook Pro, guess what happened? The person in front of me – fair enough on them, no fault of theirs – was reclining back and forth and as they were doing that, the pressure in the seat cracked my screen.”
Sabrina then showed the camera the damage to her laptop screen, which included a significant crack. She continued by saying that since she filmed the video, the situation has worsened, with her screen now “completely black and unresponsive”.
Devastated, she warned others: “Gutted… don’t make the same mistake I did! So basically, I’ve effed the screen by putting it in the little seat so don’t do it.
“I would never, ever have even thought this could be a thing but now, obviously using my brain, I’m like, ‘Well yeah, that makes sense, people are putting pressure on it as they’re moving back and forth so of course it’s going to crack it’. But it’s just never happened to me before – so don’t do it, basically.”
In the comments section, people shared their reactions. One commenter bluntly suggested: “That’s why reclining should be banned”, while another recommended: “This is why laptops should be stowed in the overhead compartment for take off, landing and turbulence”.
Another person admitted: “Omg I always put my laptop there”. To which Sabrina responded: “Then it was worth me making this video! Don’t do it again”.
While some individuals recommended she pop into the Apple Store for assistance, others suggested that she should consider getting AppleCare, detailing it as a service that “provides expert technical support and additional hardware service options from Apple”.