Although fights on planes have become very common — especially among single people and families with young children — one local mom recently learned that the skies are still friendly.
Kelly Levine, 32, of Garden City, New York, was anxious about traveling with her 5-month-old daughter, Rumi, to Mexico for vacation. She was worried about keeping the baby occupied during the long flight. But, on the 5-hour return flight from Cabo San Lucas to Newark, one passenger did a good deed that went viral.
Megan Rubin, 49, a Villanova, Pennsylvania-based businesswoman, was sitting in the aisle seat across from Levine, her husband, Jake, and Romy. Robyn was crocheting to calm her nerves during the trip, and little Romy was fascinated by watching her.
“She was staring at it, mesmerized,” Levine, the real estate agent, said of the free in-flight entertainment.
Robin, who learned how to crochet during the pandemic, enjoyed having an audience.
“The baby was so cute and was staring at me the whole ride, looking wide-eyed at my hand moving,” she told The Washington Post.
Robin started the trip by working on a jacket, but with an hour left in the air, she decided to make something for Romy.
“The challenge was to get it done before the trip was over,” she said.
It usually takes two hours to make a baby hat, but she worked frantically in the air, completing the impromptu project in just one hour.
Immediately after the plane landed in Newark, she presented Levine with a pint-sized, oatmeal-colored Italian wool beanie, with a cheerful ball in it.
“We didn’t know she was working on it,” said Levine, who was so touched by Robin’s kindness that she shared the story on TikTok. The post, which shows photos of her cuddling Romy while Robin works alongside her, has received more than 7 million views since she posted it on Sunday.
“The most amazing thing happened on our kids trip,” Levine captioned the video.
In the post, she mentioned Robin’s small business, Crochet Obey, which sells handbags, T-shirts, pet accessories and the like, and has been inundated with inquiries.
This isn’t the first time Robin has given a gift to someone she just met. Over the years, it has manufactured items for bartenders and Uber drivers.
Courtesy of Kelly Levine
“I have this thing where when I travel, I love to crochet. I always give a little bit of appreciation to strangers,” Robyn said, adding that she’s “never been flagged” by the TSA for bringing her hooks on a flight because they have rounded edges.
Robin and Levin exchanged numbers and became fast friends, and Levin said she now feels optimistic, not anxious, about taking trips with Romy.
“You hear about moms getting on planes with gift cards and saying, ‘Sorry for your trouble,’ while their kids are crying during flights. Everyone is ready to explain or apologize, so having someone not only kind and helpful, but also generous, has made us “We feel much better about traveling in the future.”
“You never know who you’re going to sit next to. She was an angel.”