Delta's turn

[declansdad]

And because it's never happened to you, it never happens to anyone?

So answer me this... what if this guy was sitting next to you? Are you ok with him trying to "hold it" for who knows how long? It could be the entire flight.

He would be the one sitting in pee, not me.

 

[kerry1379]

What a shame this has all become. After the first incident with United, I think we could have seen some positive change with customer service and improved procedures. But with all of these ridiculous follow ups it will become a power struggle. People will keep trying to see how they can get their "15 minutes of fame" by breaking the rules and then the airlines will have to dig their heels in to assert their authority. As a result I see things getting way worse instead of better. I hope I am wrong.

 

[RedAngie]

I understand Greyhound DID start a low-cost airline in Canada in the mid-1990s. It lasted a little more than a year.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greyhound_Air

 

[bcla]

He would be the one sitting in pee, not me.

Pee doesn't actually smell all that bad unless it "ripens".

 

[fly girl]

I nearly choked on a chip laughing thanks to you, just so you know. Absolutely!

Sorry you choked. Glad I made you laugh though.

Good seeing you again Fly Girl.

I've been gone for too long, nice to be back.

 

[fly girl]

I understand Greyhound DID start a low-cost airline in Canada in the mid-1990s. It lasted a little more than a year.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greyhound_Air

Learn something everyday! I had no idea. Found this commercial, maybe the lack of a bathroom was the cause of it becoming defunct.

 

[marcyleecorgan]

Oh wow.... I was forced by my family to use a paper coffee cup or the like when this happened as a child. How hard would it be for this dude to use a paper cup and lid until he could access the washroom safely... *giggles*

 

[Westcoastwild]

Oh wow.... I was forced by my family to use a paper coffee cup or the like when this happened as a child. How hard would it be for this dude to use a paper cup and lid until he could access the washroom safely... *giggles*

Well, as a woman, I'm gonna go with very hard. As a kid I could/would have figured it out, but I don't think I would pull it off as an adult and I'm not sure I would be able to sit there coolly as my seatmate did it

 

[mmouse37]

Agreed. By "Delta's Turn" I mean "their turn in the media spotlight." IMHO the United, American and Delta incidents are all different in their own way.



I follow an Instagram account called Passenger Shaming where they post pics/videos people send in of airline passengers behaving badly. Let's just say this issue has come up in their account before.

I follow them too....did you see the one of the guy relieving himself at the gate??? It was awful and he was so drunk I don't even think he knew where he was.

MJ

 

[Westcoastwild]

I follow them too....did you see the one of the guy relieving himself at the gate??? It was awful and he was so drunk I don't even think he knew where he was.

MJ

Now I am following it, thanks to this thread. Some of it's just horrifying.

Some of it is really impressive though. Like where do they get these ideas? It would have NEVER occured to me to carry a sign on a clip that says "please wake me for snacks". Or that a blow up mattress was either a possible carryon or useable at an airport. Genius. I mean, shameless, but genius.

 

[mmouse37]

Now I am following it, thanks to this thread. Some of it's just horrifying.

Some of it is really impressive though. Like where do they get these ideas? It would have NEVER occured to me to carry a sign on a clip that says "please wake me for snacks". Or that a blow up mattress was either a possible carryon or useable at an airport. Genius. I mean, shameless, but genius.

Totally horrifying.....I can't believe people really act like that on planes....it is crazy!!!! Talk about a sense of entitlement.

For anyone who can't understand why some FA's lose it....just check out some of the pics at the Passenger Shaming Instagram page. I am not saying FA's should lose it but I can understand how they could. Putting up with stuff like this all the time is trying.

MJ

 

[mummabear]

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.

Easier said than done.
I have stomach issues, I can go for months with no problems, other times having to leave the house is stressful because you don't know when it will hit. Within 10 minutes I can go from not needing to go to being in so much pain I can barely walk.
Flying in particular can be very stressful because you don't want to be in this position, I would always go before boarding-but that doesn't mean I wouldn't be in a bad way 30
Minutes later.

Here we have "I have to go cards" which gives the public discrete awareness to allow you to use staff restrooms etc when you must.
I wonder if something like this could be used in the US and for these sorts of situations so FA know you aren't playing around.
He obviously should have followed FA instructions, but I guess I agree with the position of my risk.

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.

Way easier to deal with vomiting in a bag then soiling your pants.

 

[Nancyg56]

And because it's never happened to you, it never happens to anyone?

So answer me this... what if this guy was sitting next to you? Are you ok with him trying to "hold it" for who knows how long? It could be the entire flight.

It has never happened to me either, but I know that if it did I would not just disregard all rules and jeopardize the flight and passengers. In believe that had this passenger made it clear to the FA that he was in distress, rather than taking matters into his own hands, the outcome would have been very different. His solution was the issue, and had he made a different choice this woudl nto even be a discussion.

I have never understood the all or nothing mentality. Hold it or pee on the seat? What ever happened to the middle ground? Talk to the FA. If after that conversation the passenger was told to hold it or let it go, then we have the discussion about what shoudl be changed, but I cannot fault the airline or the FA if this one simple step was absent.

 

[luvsJack]

I wouldn't find myself in that situation. As I said, I've flown a ton of miles and miraculously, in my decades of flying I've never had to get up during a "fasten seat belt sign". Ever. I've been "uncomfortable" but never an "emergency." And the uncomfortable situations have been during turbulence where it was not possible to use the restrooms.

So, it's hard for me to "put myself in his shoes" because it has literally never happened to me. I always use the restroom before getting on a plane, just in case. Now, perhaps he had a tight connection, but this isn't mentioned either, so probably not the case. And, it wasn't even a "major" delay. 30 minutes? Nothing. Happens all the time.


I'm not kidding when I say if you get "urgency" that bad you should wear Depends.

That's great for you but I would never say never if I were you.

Saying someone should wear depends because of a one time or first time urgency is just ridiculous and very judgemental.

You do realize there are infections that could cause this? Medications? Some reason the bladder didn't empty the last time to the bathroom. Many reasons that it could be a one time or very random situation.

I went to my child's choir concert a week or so ago. Went to the bathroom before it started just as always. By the next to the last song, I thought I was going to have to break and run. Luckily, she had already told me about a change on stage at the last song that gave me the chance to slip out and back in quickly at that point. The whole concert was less than an hour. Normally it's pretty understood you don't leave during the music. I have no idea why it happened that time or if it will happen again. Could have been a number of reasons. And I certainly would never judge someone that found themselves in a true urgent need for the restroom.

I don't fly so I have no idea who is right or wrong or how it could be done differently. But "it would never happen to me" didn't answer my question. IF it did ( and it very well could, believe it or not you can't predicte that), what would you do?

 

[Nancyg56]

That's great for you but I would never say never if I were you.

Saying someone should wear depends because of a one time or first time urgency is just ridiculous and very judgemental.

You do realize there are infections that could cause this? Medications? Some reason the bladder didn't empty the last time to the bathroom. Many reasons that it could be a one time or very random situation.

I certainly agree with you. "Never" is the one word tht will guarantee you that the dreaded whatever situation is going to occur.

My niece boarded a red eye from the west coast feeling right as rain. BOOM! She got hit with som sort of bug that had her running to the restroom. Now she never would have intentionally placed herself or her fellow passengers in the position of having to deal with a gastro intestinal challenge, but it happened. Thankfully the plane was not full so the FA gave her space at the rear of the aircraft and her fellow passengers voluntarilary moved forward. You just dont know.

 

[Hikergirl]

You guys are right, you just don't know. However there is a right and wrong way to handle it if it comes up. If this guy had explained himself the second time he got up this wouldn't have made the news.

 

[luvsJack]

You guys are right, you just don't know. However there is a right and wrong way to handle it if it comes up. If this guy had explained himself the second time he got up this wouldn't have made the news.

So it's not like he was "chained" to his seat. Thank you. That more or less answers my question.

Of course we will never know how "urgent" his urgency was. But some guy running to the bathroom and the airline removing him really shouldn't be making the news anyway if you think about it. Lol. I mean he can't possibly be the only person this ever happened to.

 

[mom2rtk]

He would be the one sitting in pee, not me.

Maybe it wasn't pee?

 

[mnrose]

Maybe it wasn't pee?

It was. The passenger gave and explanation that included that he had not drank an excessive amount of water, etc. I don't think that would be very relevant to a non-pee situation.

 

[Vijoge]

I've always heard of people (some I know) who look at every little thing in the news to cross out some company/brand/whatever to stop buying or doing business with based on bad publicity of some type.

A lady in our city claimed last week on FB that her autistic daughter was ridiculed at a local KFC. No one in the FB group knows this woman but several hundred took her word for it swear they will never eat at this KFC again. The funny thing is, a good many of them also stated the never go to that particular KFC anyway, because the store is dirty (it's not) and the employees are rude (I'm sure some are, but not a blanket statement). So you end up with a bunch of people boycotting a business they never patronize anyway.