Anyone take PB&J sandwiches through airport security?

[mickeyluv'r]

Okay, here's my two cents....

You could make sandwiches and take them through security, but it might be easier to just buy something at the airport. I know not all airports have great options, but many do. Most have something, and letting the kids pick is a great way to kill some time.

I further find that eating before I get on then plane is a great way to kill the time.

It's also MUCH easier to eat at a food court table than to try and balance your lunch on an airplane tray, where you could have turbulence, and other disturbances.

Regardless of a potential peanut allergy, eating anything smelly on the plane, where the air is confined, is a bit inconsiderate. Nobody wants to smell your food. I am kind of glad they no longer serve meals on planes; the odor was horrible.

Beyond that, I can tell you MCO has LOTS of inexpensive options.

 

[kkandaj]

I hope this doesn't come across as argumentative (I don't like PB at all, and can take or leave peanuts in general, so you won't have a problem with me causing contamination on a plane!!). I'm genuinely curious...

I see this issue come up most often about planes. I assume this is because 1) peanuts were the traditional airplane snack for decades and 2) you're dealing with a small cabin and recycled air. But on this thread I've seen way more comments concerned with contact (peanut butter smeared on a seat, etc.) than with airborne particle issues. But wouldn't there be just as much risk of this if people eat their PB crackers and PBJ at home before arriving at the airport? I can't imagine trying to keep an allergic child from touching, well, anything, anywhere! The seats at the gate, the rail on the escalator...

We are lucky that my DS does not have any allergies (my DH is highly allergic to stone and core fruits), but he DOES have a rare, misunderstood and potentially life-threatening disease. I completely understand the parental fear of something happening to your child when you are so, so careful. I feel for those who have to deal with severe allergies.

We do have to keep DS from touching lots of things--it's not only the seats on a plane, but the handles on doors, playground equipment, McDonald's play areas (this is for his other allergies), rides, etc. I'm sure when people see me, they think I'm a germaphobe, when in reality, I'm a foodaphobe. DS was hospitalized for 4 days after his first reaction to soy, he was 10 weeks old. He was green, laying in my arms not moving as he vomited and had diarrhea and I ran into the ER. It took the nurses 8 times to get his IV in. That was his worst reaction. His mildest was his face swelling up like Will Smith in Hitch. There have been several reactions in between, some life threatening, some not. In the past two years, he has had no accidental exposures, but that is because we are very vigilant and wipe down everything.

And I appreciate your curiousity. Conversation and education is the only way that people will really understand food allergies. That's why I just ask that people wash their hands and clean up after themselves, I never ask them not to eat something. It is our responsibility to keep DS safe and we are always prepared with epi-pens just in case, but of course, we would like to avoid reactions.

 

[MisWal]

I don't understand why an adult couldn't in the event of an announcement that there was an allergy on a plane. I hope those of you who feel so put out never have a family member with a severe food allergy, or any disability for that matter. Talk about a lack of compassion and maturity.

I agree!

 

[TDC Nala]

Yes, they do sometimes make that announcement on a plane, that there is an allergic passenger and sometimes the airline personnel do ask the entire plane not to open or consume any peanut or nut products.

Will the airline personnel stop you if you decide to eat a peanut butter sandwich anyway? No, because they cannot control what people bring aboard with them. I'm not going to go into whether or not it is actually a resonable request or is borne out of fear rather than any real danger. But if the request is made, and you personally are of a mind to accede to it, then your children won't be eating those peanut butter sandwiches on the plane. Just to let the OP know that such a request MIGHT be made, so they may decide to proactively bring some other type of sandwich.

 

[matheke]

If you can show me one documented case of a peanut reaction from someone on an airplane, i will change my mind.

See if you can find any of the old episodes of "Airline". The show was about Southwest and I think it was on A&E. There was an episode where a passanger notifies SWA that he had a severe peanut allergy when he booked his flight. I think he was flying through BWI or MDW. Anyway they served peanuts on his flight after he had told the flight crew of his allegy, They laughed at him and served the peanuts anyhow. When he got off the plane he filed a complaint with the gate agent. The camera crew was there to film him filing the complaint. He raised his shirt and had huge red welts all over his chest and back and that was after he took his benedryl.

And now for a little comic relief, probally why you never noticed any peanut allergies when you flew was because all the kids were coughing and hacking from the smoking section.

Times they are a changing.

Dan

 

[mesaboy2]

Once, I thought I knew all the hot-button topics on here. Then, I opened this thread.

 

[rn448698]

I haven't read anything on this thread except the first subject line. How in the world did this turn into this many posts? My hunch is that it somehow devolved into whether it is nice to eat peanut butter in a confined space. My vote is that one shouldn't eat peanut butter in a confined space if made aware of someone else in said space with a peanut allergy.

Now to go see if my prediction is correct...

 

[GenevieveRaqs]

Thanks, Music City Mama and kkandaj for providing your thoughts on my questions.

kkandaj, your experience with your DS sounds absolutely terrifying. I imagine it is still always scary, having to worry about exposure constantly. But nothing beats having a very, very sick child and having no idea what's wrong.

 

[NikP]

Southwest will make substitutions to the peanut snacks if someone on board has an allergy. We fly twice yearly to mco and they have alway accommodated us. We preboard the first flight of the day and wash the area my son will sit. We also place a blanket for him to sit on. We carry multiple epi pens.

Some here obviously do not know that an epi pen will not cure a reaction to an life threating allergy. An epi pen buys you 15 minutes so you can reach a hospital. We carry as many epi pens as we feel we need based on the time it would take to get to a hospital. If my son is reacting I would demand the plane land as soon as possible. If necessary I would be taken away in hand cuffs and my son by ambulance. My son is old enough to know not to touch his face unless he washes his hands. Also some might not realize that exposure to allergens do not always trigger the same reaction every time. We are always prepared for the worst and hope for the best. We are also very fortunate that we live in Canada because we lead the world in allergy awareness and labeling requirements.

 

[Pine View]

I have friends that have declared their daughter allergic to peanuts. They have never had her tested. But, when they fed it to her two different times she threw (spit) it up. No breathing issues. No rashes. Couldn’t possible be the kid just doesn’t like it, right?
No one can now eat peanuts anywhere near her or in her classes.
While there are people truly allergic, I have to believe there are so many because the parents like to jump on the peanut allergy band wagon. This makes it hard for the ones that truly are. These parents won't risk their kids health on the actions of others.
I have a sever allergy to lots of perfumes. It has something to do with the base chemicals. I just can’t see people being told to shower and use no smelly products on my flights. Taking Benedryl helps me relax on the flights too. We have always had epi/Benedryl around.

 

[Dashzap]

We are on a flight that is over our normal dinner time, so I was thinking of packing peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for our daughters. But I'm wondering if TSA will let them pass through? I'm thinking yes, but I don't want to bother if they're going to make me throw them away. TIA!

Go for it. We take soynut butter sandwiches for our flights, no problem. You can't bring drinks though.

 

[kaytieeldr]

How embarrassing for the person [with a peanut allergy, on a commercial flight]... It opens them up for being harassed, makes the whole plane privy to their personal medical condition, and if it's a kid, it could be really humiliating.

You know how rarely I disagree with you. This is one of those times. Especially given that there are varying degrees of sensitivity, and that its the airborne peanut dust or direct contact that causes problems, and that most allergic persons don't have an "all about me, the heck with you" attitude - a peanut-free zone makes the most sense.

It can easily be announced and arranged discreetly at the gate.

Given the prevalence on this forum, a lot of folks would probably be surprised to know that peanut allergies occur, to varying degrees, in 1.2% or less of the population.

 

[bookgirl]

I've taken a pb sandwich through and never have a problem. Love PB and it doesn't spoil.

 

[Dashzap]

I just don't understand how some people feel like they are being persecuted and having "their rights" taken away because they are politely asked not to eat peanuts for a couple of hours BECAUSE SOMEONE COULD DIE.

Oh my, you should see a PTA meeting when there is a suggestion to not serve food at holiday parties. The screaming! The shouting! The accusations!

We fly Southwest with a kid with food allergies. Warn them when you buy your ticket and they'll serve a non-peanut snack, likely a "may contain". They have never made any announcement other than noting the snack served would not be peanuts due to allergy.

I think people are more likely to be nervous about flying with a potentially life threatening situation such as an allergy because of:
1) the enclosed small space
2) the lack of access to medical care (epinephrine only lasts so long)

We figure it's safe since the kid hasn't reacted yet after 7 years of school where pretty much everything is smeared with peanut butter sandwiches. His reactions have been from consumption of allergens.

 

[mattsdragon]

Once, I thought I knew all the hot-button topics on here. Then, I opened this thread.

This is an obscure one to be sure, and I just started following it like watching a train wreck (or a FP thread).

I do recall one a few years back about someone mentioning the fact that they serve crustables on pirates cruise or whatever it was called. It got vicious. And one other about the use of latex baloons and the positives and negatives concerning them an mylar balloons.

Allergies. . .another DIS taboo.

 

[mesaboy2]

This is an obscure one to be sure, and I just started following it like watching a train wreck (or a FP thread).

I do recall one a few years back about someone mentioning the fact that they serve crustables on pirates cruise or whatever it was called. It got vicious. And one other about the use of latex baloons and the positives and negatives concerning them an mylar balloons.

Allergies. . .another DIS taboo.

I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. After all, we've seen multipage back-and-forths on the evils of water and bubbles in just the last week.

 

[mattsdragon]

I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. After all, we've seen multipage back-and-forths on the evils of water and bubbles in just the last week.

That's why we gotta just keep doing what we do and get things off topic (or in someone elses words. . .be smarmy).

I got dibs on Grumpy, you can be Dopey, Sleep or Sneezy (too soon for an allergy thread?)

 

[kaytieeldr]

If I have brought Uncrustables to eat on a flight, unless the allergic perso is my seatmate I will eat the sandwiches:

• They're thawed and at optimum eating level
• I'm an adult
• I don't drip / drop
• I don't smear
• I don't get peanut butter on anything (just in me)
• I wipe my hands and mouth and crumple the napkin and put it inside other trash
• I place my trash directly in the trash bags being held by the gloved Flight Attendants
• I don't kiss, lick, or slobber over anyone else on (or off) the plane.

 

[Pine View]

• I don't kiss, lick, or slobber over anyone else on (or off) the plane.

 

[StarGirl11]

I can't remember the last time I got peanuts on Southwest and I fly them exclusively. I've gotten cereal bars, pretzels, and 100 Calorie Packs of Lorna Doone cookies.

They handed out peanuts on my flight to and from Nashville last week. Maybe it varies some from route to route?