Oh, give me a break. Yes, she SHOULD ask before hugging, but comparing this to Emmett Till? Really? That was a brutal murder when the poor kid apparently just whistled at her, if I recall correctly. (feel free to correct me if I am wrong) And for that - he was horribly murdered. Emmett Till was an innocent child. The situation on the plane is totally different.

With Till, the woman did not try to touch him or show any attempt to interact with him. If she had seen Till as a fellow human being, she would have understood that he was just being playful, as all boys can be.

The woman on the plane probably has boundary issues but that is probably the way she reacts to conflict resolution with everyone.