Speaking of Airline Etiquette - a story from last week

[soccerdad72]

Watched one of the ruder passengers that I've seen on a flight in a while last week. Fortunately, this didn't directly affect us (much )

We were flying from Cleveland to L.A. and just as I thought we were closed and pulling away from the gate, a guy and his young son (maybe 5 or 6 years old), came down the aisle and their seats were across the aisle from my wife and I (we, fortunately, ended up with a seat free in our row, so we could spread out ). The guy had to have been at least 300 pounds, minimum.

The row across from us had a guy sitting on the aisle. Instead of putting his son in the middle seat, the guy has him sit in the window seat and he sits down in the middle, spilling over into this poor guy's aisle seat. Now, I know from travelling with kids that they usually want to sit in the window seat, but if you're as big as this guy, why wouldn't you put your small child in the middle and give yourself more room?

The guy on the aisle pretty much immediately flagged down a flight attendant and asked if he could move to an open exit row seat. I don't even think he asked how much of an extra charge it would be (I know I wouldn't have ).

During the flight, he pretty much a bunch of the boxes of things not to do on a flight. Took his shoes off , had a big wad of chewing tobacco and kept spitting into his Coke bottle, even sent his son up to the restroom (20+ rows away) by himself and just kept pointing to where the bathroom was, even as the poor kid kept looking around with a confused look.

Oh, and for the record (given today's conversation), he was dressed in baggy shorts (which, of course, gave us a full view of his buttcrack when he stood up in the aisle the second we landed in L.A. ) and a t-shirt.

 

[3rd_time_the_charm]

The days of appropriateness, etiquette, and common sense sure are gone. Not to mention kindness and consideration.

 

[CAPSLOCK]

Wonder if he sat in the middle with the specific intent of getting the row to themselves...

 

[soccerdad72]

Wonder if he sat in the middle with the specific intent of getting the row to themselves...

Possibly - I don't know if he noticed the empty seats. I know before he boarded, the flight attendants made a point to tell us that we couldn't just switch to the seats that were empty because they were premium seats. If anyone wanted to pay the upgrade, they needed to ask an attendant.

 

[CAPSLOCK]

There was an empty seat in your row (right next to him) - I'm sure he noticed. Of course, he could just be oblivious to his irksome behavior. Having your shoes off is irksome to others, not just those in your row.

 

[Micca]

had a big wad of chewing tobacco and kept spitting into his Coke bottle

 

[PollyannaMom]

Took his shoes off , had a big wad of chewing tobacco and kept spitting into his Coke bottle

Gross, and gross!

I can see putting your kid in the window seat for a few reasons (their first flight ever, don't want them sitting next to a stranger, don't want them to bother said stranger...)

...but given the other things, I'm leaning toward "hoped the other person would move".

 

[SirDuff]

I admit that I will take my shoes off on long flights. But I have clean socks that I put on (sometimes compression, sometimes just normal or sometimes I use the ones the airline gives me) and I either put my shoes back if I move around (i.e. use the toilet) or I use slippers (again that the airline gives).

 

[fly girl]

He must’ve kept his chewing tobacco hidden from the crew because any kind of tobacco is prohibited. Yes, that includes smokeless.

I have made men spit it out before. They weren’t happy, too bad. Those are the rules.

 

[BlueStarryHat]

I keep my shoes on always because I read that in the case of an emergency you don't want to be fiddling around looking for your shoes.

 

[SirDuff]

I keep my shoes on always because I read that in the case of an emergency you don't want to be fiddling around looking for your shoes.

I keep them on until we reach cruising altitude and I put them back on as we start our descent (for that very reason). I figure that outside of that, if we go down so quickly that I cannot get find my shoes, finding them won't much matter.

I also count the rows to the nearest emergency exits (both behind and in front of me).

 

[BlueStarryHat]

I keep them on until we reach cruising altitude and I put them back on as we start our descent (for that very reason). I figure that outside of that, if we go down so quickly that I cannot get find my shoes, finding them won't much matter.

I also count the rows to the nearest emergency exits (both behind and in front of me).

I might be the only person on an airplane at any given time who is actually looking at the safety instructions and following along with the flight attendant's talk.

 

[fly girl]

I keep my shoes on always because I read that in the case of an emergency you don't want to be fiddling around looking for your shoes.

Honestly, you can take them off if you really would like too. Personally, I do on long flights. But I wear socks and I don’t have a foot odor problem so there’s that, lol. And I put my shoes on even if I’m getting up to let someone out of the aisle. The floors are disgusting, people!! Don’t walk around without shoes!

In an emergency in mid flight, it will be at least 15 minutes before you land. And if you are wearing high heels they’d make you take them off when evacuating using the slide.

In the typical scenario flight, put your shoes on when they chime the bells for initial landing. (20-30 minutes before landing)

 

[fly girl]

I might be the only person on an airplane at any given time who is actually looking at the safety instructions and following along with the flight attendant's talk.

So you’re the ONE!?!
Thank you from the crew.

 

[Donald Duck Family]

I might be the only person on an airplane at any given time who is actually looking at the safety instructions and following along with the flight attendant's talk.

I fly a lot and take egress (ditching) training every few years and I still read the safety card and pay attention to the safety brief every time I get on a commercial plane.

 

[PacificCoaster]

I absolutely take shoes off on long flights but obviously wear socks and put my shoes back on to use the restroom. The chewing tobacco thing would have had me gagging. Disgusting.

 

[BlueStarryHat]

So you’re the ONE!?!
Thank you from the crew.

Well, don't thank me yet. I'll also be the one who completely panics, forgets everything, and goes down the slide butt first.

 

[fly girl]

Well, don't thank me yet. I'll also be the one who completely panics, forgets everything, and goes down the slide butt first.

Not to fret, it’s shown that most people go into a complete state of shock and freeze up. That’s why the crew is SHOUTING COMMANDS to tell you exactly what to do.

If I can teach anyone anything it’s to leave everything in an emergency. Stuff can be replaced, people cannot. Think of others before belongings. Getting bags takes time no one has in an emergency.

 

[SirDuff]

Not to fret, it’s shown that most people go into a complete state of shock and freeze up. That’s why the crew is SHOUTING COMMANDS to tell you exactly what to do.

If I can teach anyone anything it’s to leave everything in an emergency. Stuff can be replaced, people cannot. Think of others before belongings. Getting bags takes time no one has in an emergency.

Think about recent crash with the JAL plane - everybody got out because they followed directions and left everything behind.

 

[brockash]

Watched one of the ruder passengers that I've seen on a flight in a while last week. Fortunately, this didn't directly affect us (much )

We were flying from Cleveland to L.A. and just as I thought we were closed and pulling away from the gate, a guy and his young son (maybe 5 or 6 years old), came down the aisle and their seats were across the aisle from my wife and I (we, fortunately, ended up with a seat free in our row, so we could spread out ). The guy had to have been at least 300 pounds, minimum.

The row across from us had a guy sitting on the aisle. Instead of putting his son in the middle seat, the guy has him sit in the window seat and he sits down in the middle, spilling over into this poor guy's aisle seat. Now, I know from travelling with kids that they usually want to sit in the window seat, but if you're as big as this guy, why wouldn't you put your small child in the middle and give yourself more room?

The guy on the aisle pretty much immediately flagged down a flight attendant and asked if he could move to an open exit row seat. I don't even think he asked how much of an extra charge it would be (I know I wouldn't have ).

During the flight, he pretty much a bunch of the boxes of things not to do on a flight. Took his shoes off , had a big wad of chewing tobacco and kept spitting into his Coke bottle, even sent his son up to the restroom (20+ rows away) by himself and just kept pointing to where the bathroom was, even as the poor kid kept looking around with a confused look.

Oh, and for the record (given today's conversation), he was dressed in baggy shorts (which, of course, gave us a full view of his buttcrack when he stood up in the aisle the second we landed in L.A. ) and a t-shirt.

I mean I know lots of ppl. who don't want to sit next to a kid and his kid may squirm a lot, so he may have thought he was doing something better for the other passenger. We are so judgemental.