Delta's turn

[Westcoastwild]

I'm generally inclined to agree with business as usual.

And it's unpleasant, but yeah, safety rules are there for a reason. If you have an accident, you have an accident. It would be embarrassing and unpleasant but at least you wouldn't get hurt or hurt someone else. I guess I don't understand the people who think the seat belt light is a "recommendation".

There's also the thought that if you are genuinely sick- I mean nonstop food poisoning- you probably shouldn't be flying. Those are the options I'm seeing here: either he could control it, and was being an idiot, or it's a chronic condition he needs to manage better or it was a sickness thing and a genuine emergency. And if it was the last one, chances are he knew about it prior to boarding.

So in all cases...not the airline's problem.

 

[sam_gordon]

I'm a retired FA, I worked that aircraft a lot. That barrier strap is put up before aft seated FA is buckled into jumpseat.

I remembered you're a FA, but how do you know he took the strip down?

 

[sam_gordon]

I'm generally inclined to agree with business as usual.

And it's unpleasant, but yeah, safety rules are there for a reason. If you have an accident, you have an accident. It would be embarrassing and unpleasant but at least you wouldn't get hurt or hurt someone else. I guess I don't understand the people who think the seat belt light is a "recommendation".

There's also the thought that if you are genuinely sick- I mean nonstop food poisoning- you probably shouldn't be flying. Those are the options I'm seeing here: either he could control it, and was being an idiot, or it's a chronic condition he needs to manage better or it was a sickness thing and a genuine emergency. And if it was the last one, chances are he knew about it prior to boarding.

So in all cases...not the airline's problem.

So you would be ok sitting next to someone who is sitting in their own urine? And it's going to be HOURS before it's cleaned up?

 

[fly girl]

I remembered you're a FA, but how do you know he took the strip down?

I just edited post to explain. I knew that was coming.

 

[Westcoastwild]

So you would be ok sitting next to someone who is sitting in their own urine? And it's going to be HOURS before it's cleaned up?

Ugh. No. I'm not saying that at all. But I'm going to generally expect the flight attendants to only deny someone bathroom use when it's necessary. All the guy had to do was wait until after take off. If he couldn't wait, he probably shouldn't have been on a plane. Because practically speaking, no one has unlimited access to a toilet on a flight.

 

[pryncess527]

There's also the thought that if you are genuinely sick- I mean nonstop food poisoning- you probably shouldn't be flying. Those are the options I'm seeing here: either he could control it, and was being an idiot, or it's a chronic condition he needs to manage better or it was a sickness thing and a genuine emergency. And if it was the last one, chances are he knew about it prior to boarding.

Even for those who are sick, they have barf bags at the seat for a reason -- it may not always be possible to get up.

I feel for this man, but as far as I can deduce from the information provided in virtually every article, when he was told to wait the first time he just said okay and went back to his seat. He did not impress upon the person that it was an emergency. then he did not ask a second time, he just got up and did something he'd been expressly told not to do, without consulting anyone.

 

[LISAMWDW]

I wasn't there so I don't know the exact situations so feel I can't judge his actions at all. However, if I was in his shoes, and had diarrhea (an emergency situation where I could not hold it), I would have went to the bathroom anyway too. Urggh If is was just #1, that is alot easier to hold so I can't imagine that was his case but one never knows.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

I have a solution all of these situations:

Customers are loaded into small crates and flow in the belly of the plane. These crates can be stacked, increasing capacity. You don't have to worry about strollers being on the plane because each person is put into their crate on the runway or somewhere else. Don't need to navigate the aisles.

Each crate has its own toilet system, attached directly to the customer.

Win-win! Customers can get where they are going and the airlines don't have to deal with customers.

 

[StitchesGr8Fan]

I love how people just assume the airline is at fault. Takeoffs occur one right after the other at busy airports. Planes are lined up and have to be ready to take off when told or else they can hold up all the other flights. Yes, sometimes planes can sit there for a while, but when it is time to go, they have seconds, not minutes take their turn. It is dangerous for someone to be in the restroom during takeoff. Where I fly out of a plane takes off every 60-90 seconds. Not enough time for the pilot to notify a passenger to finish up in the bathroom and for the passenger to get strapped back in to their seat. And delaying that plane also delays the 20+ planes lined up after it.

I'm sure the airlines would rather deal with a soiled seat than a lawsuit because someone was injured because the plane moved while they were in the bathroom and got hurt.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

http://elitedaily.com/travel/airline-industry-treat-us-badly/1857227/

 

[bcla]

I wonder what would happen if a patron complied with the orders to remain seated but relieved themselves in the seat (either intentionally or because they could not control the onslaught)?

That's what Alan Shepard did when his launch was delayed. Took out about half the sensors in his suit and he was lying on his back in a pool of urine. NASA came up with an improvised pair of rubber pants for the next guy just in case he had to pee or even poop.

These days there are ways to handle this that you can find at any Target. Still - I do remember the story about the psycho astronaut who traveled hours to try to kidnap a woman in a relationship with the man she was dating. A lot of the news stories on her mentioned the NASA standard undergarments she wore so she didn't need to stop to pee.

 

[pryncess527]

I wasn't there so I don't know the exact situations so feel I can't judge his actions at all. However, if I was in his shoes, and had diarrhea (an emergency situation where I could not hold it), I would have went to the bathroom anyway too. Urggh If is was just #1, that is alot easier to hold so I can't imagine that was his case but one never knows.

In a follow up interview, he says that he does not normally go to the bathroom before boarding a plane and that he rarely has a strong urge to go. he does not recall drinking an abnormal amount of water -- so I do not think he had diarrhea.

 

[gotomu212]

Getting out of your seat to go to the bathroom when you are on a taxiway is normally treated as a medical emergency. There's no room for exceptions as this isn't an airline rule, it's a DOT regulation. If it's a real medical necessity the pilot is going to have to radio the tower and your plane is going to be taken out of the line up.

To me Delta followed the law here and its a non-story.

 

[luvsJack]

And another reason for me not to want to fly.


Everyone keeps saying "he should not have gotten up" Honestly tell us what would you do? Would you sit in your seat and pee on yourself?

 

[Westcoastwild]

Even for those who are sick, they have barf bags at the seat for a reason -- it may not always be possible to get up.

I feel for this man, but as far as I can deduce from the information provided in virtually every article, when he was told to wait the first time he just said okay and went back to his seat. He did not impress upon the person that it was an emergency. then he did not ask a second time, he just got up and did something he'd been expressly told not to do, without consulting anyone.

Right. That's what I keep thinking of. I've never had a bathroom emergency on a plane, but I get motion sick. It would not occur to me to get up without permission. Even though there's always the risk that I will get vomit on me or my neighbor. Like it's awful to be sick in a plane, but you know going into it that you WILL have limited access to the facilities.

And another reason for me not to want to fly.


Everyone keeps saying "he should not have gotten up" Honestly tell us what would you do? Would you sit in your seat and pee on yourself?

You can say the same about driving though. I mean if you're on the interstate during rush hour and no one is moving, are you going to cross your legs? Or are you going to be like the special passenger behind me last summer who go out of his car, pulled out his junior, and strolled beside his car relieving himself?

I'm sorry, I think I'll take option a. The guy should have used the bathroom before he got on that plane. I really doubt he went from "don't need to use the bathroom at all" to "medical emergency or wet myself" between pre boarding and take off.

 

[Skippy918]

My daughter (5)came really close to having a pee accident on the plane. We were in the final descent when she told me she had to go potty. I told her to hold it in and that we were almost there. This felt like the longest landing ever. Finally, we started deplaning and the flight attendant saw her holding her crotch so she let her use the front lavatory.

I flew with her at 3 when she was newly potty trained and put her in a pull-up for the flight. It gave me some piece of mind.

 

[wilkeliza]

And another reason for me not to want to fly.


Everyone keeps saying "he should not have gotten up" Honestly tell us what would you do? Would you sit in your seat and pee on yourself?

The one time I had to do it, I politely asked the FA and they asked if it was a true emergency or if I could wait. I decided I could wait and so they said one we were in the air even if seat belt sign was still on then I could go.

 

[Pacolovestacos]

Cool so I guess people can now boycott Southwest, United, American, and Delta. What does that leave? Spirit, Alaska, Jetblue, and Frontier? Goodluck.

 

[wilkeliza]

Cool so I guess people can now boycott Southwest, United, American, and Delta. What does that leave? Spirit, Alaska, Jetblue, and Frontier? Goodluck.

Alreay pointed out Jetblue had a simialr issue. Little girl peed herself so now they basically say ok break the law but you were warned you could get hurt.

 

[Pacolovestacos]

Alreay pointed out Jetblue had a simialr issue. Little girl peed herself so now they basically say ok break the law but you were warned you could get hurt.

Gotcha so the boycotters are down to Frontier, Spirit, and Alaska. Hope they can work the routes out