Waiting to board our plane and....

[Mouse House Mama]

I think, and I am by no means an expert, it has something to do with the re-circulated air. The air gets blown all over the cabin spreading the peanut dust, which in turn can be inhaled.

Perhaps then that isn't the best environment to put yourself in if you have a sever allergy? Just a thought. Also, at a theme park you touch 9 million things a day. There is no way on earth that you can completely eliminate the risk there. Not even close.

 

[Mkrop]

From following along, this topic has struck some nerves...

As science advances and more things get packed into the things we consume on a daily basis, there are going to be more and more reactions occurring. It's not just limited to peanut butter. All of these medications people are on for different personal problems, experimental treatments and such, they ALL have side effects. Some cause you to maybe gain weight, others may give you an allergy you didn't have before. Our bodies also change as we age, again, leading us to be allergic to things we weren't before.

Should the airlines ban peanuts? That'll most likely be for a court to decide. There will probably be scientific studies brought in as to what the top food allergies and such are and it'll get messy and take a long time with appeals and such. The airlines are doing what they can and want to right now, but that could all change. It would be nice that if the person with the allergy makes it known early enough to the airline and the airline can spread the word of a peanut free flight to fellow passengers, then maybe that kid who needs that PB sandwich can eat it BEFORE HE GETS ON THE PLANE (and then subsequently clean up and wash his hands). Giving the kid his PB fix for his issue and then the allergy flyer also has their end taken care of.

When it all comes down to it, the person with the peanut allergy is asking for help and trying to inform. If you are traveling with someone that has other issues, reach out to the airline. Of course not everything will covered, but hey, it never hurts to ask, right?

The phrase "what's the worst that could happen?" comes to mind with all this. Well, if that's you who says that and you see first hand the problems it could cause, maybe your outlook will change. Could you live with yourself if an announcement was made to refrain from simply eating anything with peanuts, you didn't honor that request and you were delayed or missed a connector or saw a person die or nearly die because of your ignorance? Probably because you'd (generalization, not singling anyone out here) be too absorbed in being upset that your vacation was ruined because of someone else's problem, yet you didn't realize you were the cause of it.

To those that feel they don't need to heed the simple requests like this, I hope that somewhere down the line, you don't need to rely on others with a similar request and see/feel/experience what these people go through.

For me a healthy individual who has money to go buy something else or refrain for a short period of time, it is a simple request. As been pointed out here in varying examples, this is not always a simple request for others. Their needs to be considered as well.

 

[sunshinehighway]

I think, and I am by no means an expert, it has something to do with the re-circulated air. The air gets blown all over the cabin spreading the peanut dust, which in turn can be inhaled.

If you are that highly allergic, how can you feel safe anywhere? How can you trust the people in line next to you aren't going to pull out peanut snacks to eat while they wait or that one of the thousands of kids at Disney world didn't eat an uncrustable and touch that railing you are now touching?
Many people describe their (or their kid's) allergies as so extreme when it gets them something. The allergies seem to be less extreme when it inconveniences them.

 

[morgan98]

I think a lot of people overstate their allergies. Whether it's because they are nervous or just don't like peanuts, I don't know. If you are so highly allergic to peanuts that someone ten rows away eating a granola bar with peanut can kill you, how exactly do you manage in Disney World where they sell all kinds of peanut stuff and people can bring in whatever food they want?
It reminds me of the boy who cried wolf.

This is exactly what I have been saying during this thread anyway. I am not so quick to say something can kill me unless there is evidence is really will.

The other thing is, for whatever reason, the peanut allergy is very "vogue" right now. I am hoping something happens so it disappears as quickly as it seems to have appeared. And it seems to be a more important, severe, etc. condition and must trump the needs of others, obviously.

Again, I have no problem not eating peanuts in flight. I have a problem with the bigger picture in which I am being manipulated for an agenda.

 

[eliza61]

I have asked the same thing and none of the anti-nut people have answered. I mean, if I was deathly allergic to nuts the last place I would go is a crowded theme park. That just seems like a disaster waiting to happen.

Because the world has change MHM, we are now in a time where "everyone" has to have it their way regardless to anyone else and even if you comply, don't you dare question the practice because you are now an insensitive lout with no compassion.
I totally empathize with anyone be they child or adult if health reasons prevent them for doing some of the routine things that I probably take for granted but I truly don't understand this "ok, I notified the airline that my situation is special so I expect everyone to fall in line" mentality.
when my dh was battling leukemia the very first thing we recognized was that flying was out, his immune system was compromised.
But in today's mentality, I should have called the airline, demanded every passenger done face mask and have their temperature checked to ensure no one had a fever?

I just don't get it.

 

[sunshinehighway]

This is exactly what I have been saying during this thread anyway. I am not so quick to say something can kill me unless there is evidence is really will.

The other thing is, for whatever reason, the peanut allergy is very "vogue" right now. I am hoping something happens so it disappears as quickly as it seems to have appeared. And it seems to be a more important, severe, etc. condition and must trump the needs of others, obviously.

Again, I have no problem not eating peanuts in flight. I have a problem with the bigger picture in which I am being manipulated for an agenda.

I just don't have patience for whiners. I was raised to deal with my own problems.
I find people who have real issues don't make a big deal about them. They learn to deal with them because they have no other choice.

When people start talking about allergies I'm reminded of the thread about the new Dumbo area. I don't know if anyone remembers but a few years ago when the new Dumbo ride area opened, some people on the Theme Park board were all upset because there are fake peanuts imbedded in the walkway.
They were worried just the sight of fake peanuts could cause a reaction or make their kid so nervous it would cause some type of reaction.

 

[morgan98]

Is that called Fake Peanut Traumatic Stress Disorder, or FPTSD for short?

 

[Jaime4004]

The overly dramatic posts have kept me reading this thread for 29 pages. Very entertaining. Someone eating peanut butter is not going to cause an allergic person to react. It has to be ingested, inhaled or in contact with mucous membranes. Keep your hands to yourself and you'll be fine. I'm sure anyone with a severe allergy is already wiping down their area, using tissues to touch door handles, washing hands before eating, etc. I've never seen any studies to suggest that smelling peanut butter will cause a reaction (aside from my friend's mother's cousin's boyfriend stories, and the psychosomatic reactions). So go ahead diabetics, eat your PB without fear of killing someone. Same for granola bars, etc.

I've been on one flight where they announced that they were not serving peanuts because there was a person with an allergy onboard. I'm totally fine with this. As some other PPs with children with peanut allergies have said, they are more concerned with 100 people opening bags of peanuts at the same time, not the one guy in aisle 5.

So I disagree with banning passengers own food but fine with airlines not serving it. That'll be my stance until real research has shown that it is actually a risk.
I did a lot of research on peanut allergies when DD had to be in the peanut free class. For the record, I had no problem with that at all, it was the banning of snacks that MAY have been processed in a plant with that MAY contain nuts that was over the top ridiculous.

I also have a kid with a severe food allergy (not to peanuts) so i'm not unsympathetic, I just hate knee- jerk reactions not based on real data.

 

[goofy4tink]

As I've said before, in this thread, we have a very close friend who has more food allergies than many of you can begin to imagine. And yes, peanut is among them. She flies all the time...and makes no requests for peanut free flights. She does tend to choose airlines that don't serve those little bags of peanuts though. Now, when I say she has food allergies, most of them can be life threatening. We have seen, first hand, what happens when a juice bar ignored her request for a thoroughly cleaned mixer for her dairy free smoothie....this was at a Jamba Juice, so they should have known better. But, she got a smoothie with dairy in it....and within 10 mins, she was in a full blown reaction. 15 mins later she was in an ambulance....headed to Bellvue in NYC. Another 10 mins and she would have died, according to the doctors there!!
But...she seldom asks other to make allowances for her allergies. She takes responsibility for herself.
Yes, there are those with peanut allergies. But, in all reality, how many of them are serious enough to have death as a result of having peanut products within 15'? Very few I would imagine. And, as I said before, how do you know whether or not your allergic child is touching a surface, on that plane, on the way to your seats, that has peanut oil on it? And then he sticks his finger in his mouth or eyes or whatever. There is no way to be 100% sure that there are no peanut products at all in the area...let alone the entire plane. If my child, or other family member, had a severe enough reaction to something that could be easily found on an airplane, we wouldn't be flying. Unless there were face masks, and latex gloves involved!!! And then we have the whole latex allergy issue!!!

And yes, there are those of us who have huge sensitivities/allergies to perfumes. I'm one of them. And I always seem to be seated closes to that woman who feels that more is better when it comes to perfume/cologne. And then I can't breath!!! Not a good thing to happen when on a plane. My ears can't clear upon descent...I get earaches that last for a few days.

 

[bellanapoli]

The child with the allergy has no option except to avoid the allergen.

The person who prefers peanut butter as their protein has just that - a preference. You can use a bagel and cream cheese. You can use cheese and crackers. You can use a sandwich with meat. Heck, you can get an egg and bring it with you in a thermos. There are so many shakes out there for balancing blood sugar that it is impossible to list them all. You can use simple sugars, such as juice, in an emergency.

What can the peanut allergic kid do? Just sit there and die while the person eats their preferred snack? That is just selfish. Don't sugar coat it. It is selfish.

As others have pointed out, the bolded is pretty fascinating to me. I can't eat gluten or dairy. I travel with trail mix because it doesn't go bad. If I got on a plane without prior notice that I couldn't eat nuts there is nothing the aircraft will have on board that I can eat. Chances are the options in the terminal will be limited as well. But, if I'm annoyed at the situation I'm being selfish.

 

[Domo]

I'd say pass the popcorn please, but someone might be allergic to it

J/K!

 

[Gracie09]

You understand that your childs refusing to eat something other than peanut butter as you have stated previously does not trump a person that could DIE from peanuts/pb on the flight right?! Obviously not. Your child refusing to eat anything BUT peanut butter is not going to kill him unlike someone with a peanut/pb allergy being exposed to the allergen. You child has MANY choices, not just peanut butter. But he REFUSES to eat something else. He needs to get over that. Sorry but it's true. I know of many special needs kids that have the same deal going on, but their parents deal with it if they have to fly. The kid doesn't run the show here, sorry to tell you. He has choices, he just doesn't want to take them. The person with the allergies is taking many precautions (trust me, I know first hand), and don't say that they shouldn't fly because they have allergies. That's like someone telling you not to fly because your kid has diabetes and won't eat anything but PB. If this should come down to the airline having to deal with a person having a reaction because your kid DID eat something against crew requests because of someone with allergies on the flight (esp if it's an airline like SW which will take their own precautions when warned ahead of time that someone has a peanut allergy), and you and your child end up killing someone or causing them to almost die, I guarantee they will be taking the person with the allergies side and not yours.

I'm sorry but have you ever tried to get a child to eat something he or she just does not want to eat? Especially a special needs child? Have you missed the recent news stories about planes being landed due to children (some special needs some not) having meltdowns. If I am a parent, especially of a special needs child, and I know my child will eat limited food items, you bet your life I will make sure I have some if not all of these items with me on a trip. Peanut butter happens to be one of the common items kids will eat. I agree with PPs that its a matter of personal responsibility. If a child's allergy is so severe that another kid eating a peanut butter sandwich on a plane could kill him, its time to reconsider the flight and personal precautions (mask, gloves etc) that can be taken.

 

[anniemae]

Perhaps then that isn't the best environment to put yourself in if you have a sever allergy? Just a thought. Also, at a theme park you touch 9 million things a day. There is no way on earth that you can completely eliminate the risk there. Not even close.

If you are that highly allergic, how can you feel safe anywhere? How can you trust the people in line next to you aren't going to pull out peanut snacks to eat while they wait or that one of the thousands of kids at Disney world didn't eat an uncrustable and touch that railing you are now touching?
Many people describe their (or their kid's) allergies as so extreme when it gets them something. The allergies seem to be less extreme when it inconveniences them.

Don't shoot the messenger! LOL! I don't have a dog in this fight, I was just explaining what someone had posted many pages back since I was wondering the same thing about every day risks in ordinary places.

 

[AddictedtoDoleWhip]

 

[Goon]

I'm sorry but have you ever tried to get a child to eat something he or she just does not want to eat? Especially a special needs child? Have you missed the recent news stories about planes being landed due to children (some special needs some not) having meltdowns. If I am a parent, especially of a special needs child, and I know my child will eat limited food items, you bet your life I will make sure I have some if not all of these items with me on a trip. Peanut butter happens to be one of the common items kids will eat. I agree with PPs that its a matter of personal responsibility. If a child's allergy is so severe that another kid eating a peanut butter sandwich on a plane could kill him, its time to reconsider the flight and personal precautions (mask, gloves etc) that can be taken.

DONT YOU UNDERSTAND?? I DON'T CARE ABOUT YOUR NEEDS......MY NEEDS ARE MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVERYONE ELSE'S!!! ACCCOMMMMMOOODDDDAAAATTTTEEE MMMMMMEEEEEEEEEE!!!!

(sorry...that's what I read in the "your kids can eat something else" post the quoted poster above responded to).

 

[Jaya]

You understand that your childs refusing to eat something other than peanut butter as you have stated previously does not trump a person that could DIE from peanuts/pb on the flight right?! Obviously not. Your child refusing to eat anything BUT peanut butter is not going to kill him unlike someone with a peanut/pb allergy being exposed to the allergen. You child has MANY choices, not just peanut butter. But he REFUSES to eat something else. He needs to get over that. Sorry but it's true. I know of many special needs kids that have the same deal going on, but their parents deal with it if they have to fly. The kid doesn't run the show here, sorry to tell you. He has choices, he just doesn't want to take them. The person with the allergies is taking many precautions (trust me, I know first hand), and don't say that they shouldn't fly because they have allergies. That's like someone telling you not to fly because your kid has diabetes and won't eat anything but PB. If this should come down to the airline having to deal with a person having a reaction because your kid DID eat something against crew requests because of someone with allergies on the flight (esp if it's an airline like SW which will take their own precautions when warned ahead of time that someone has a peanut allergy), and you and your child end up killing someone or causing them to almost die, I guarantee they will be taking the person with the allergies side and not yours.

Just like the child who "chooses" to eat nothing but peanut butter, the parents of a child with a life-threatening allergy has the "choice" to either fly and take a chance or drive and lessen the chance of an allergic attack. Choices are available to all parties. I personally would make the choice to not eat peanuts on a plane when an announcement has been made about a life-threatening allergy but I cannot guarantee that the jacket I'm wearing isn't impregnated with peanut dust from eating peanuts at the ball game last week. If I had a child with that severe an allergy, I would choose to find alternate transportation. If not flying meant we couldn't go to Disney World, well...we wouldn't be going to Disney World. If not flying meant we wouldn't be going to Grandpa's funeral or Uncle John's wedding, then we wouldn't be going to Grandpa's funeral or Uncle John's wedding.....I'm sure they'd understand. There is a choice......fly or don't fly. Nobody is holding a gun to anyone's head, are they? The big picture here is that if your child has such a life-threatening allergy, why in the world would a person make the CHOICE to put that child's life on the line by depending that everything is going to be hunky-dory based on whether or not other people will do "the right thing"?

 

[stitchfan75]

I haven't read this whole thread because frankly it's just a lot of "I'm right...NO I'm right" talk. I still hold out the hope that our humanity has not broken down so much that a person would actually purposely break out peanuts because they were miffed someone was allergic. Really? It's peanuts. Now in the case of the woman who got belligerent with a flight attendant because he wouldn't bring her snowflake HOT food, THAT is being selfish and expecting other people to bow to you (or your child's) needs.
And just food for thought for those saying they don't care and are eating the dang peanuts anyway...
If an announcement is made and the parents can prove that the passengers were well aware their child had an anaphylactic reaction to peanuts, and someone purposely exposed said child and child then coded...well I wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of that lawsuit or criminal charges.

 

[tinkerbellandeeyor]

I have been reading from page one and the best advice I can give for those who need to eat at random times including me is to have a non peanut snack on hand

 

[phorsenuf]

I haven't read this whole thread because frankly it's just a lot of "I'm right...NO I'm right" talk. I still hold out the hope that our humanity has not broken down so much that a person would actually purposely break out peanuts because they were miffed someone was allergic. Really? It's peanuts. Now in the case of the woman who got belligerent with a flight attendant because he wouldn't bring her snowflake HOT food, THAT is being selfish and expecting other people to bow to you (or your child's) needs.
And just food for thought for those saying they don't care and are eating the dang peanuts anyway...
If an announcement is made and the parents can prove that the passengers were well aware their child had an anaphylactic reaction to peanuts, and someone purposely exposed said child and child then coded...well I wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of that lawsuit or criminal charges.

Actually until the last page or so there wasn't a lot of I'm right/you're wrong and most people said they wouldn't eat them. It was a actually a very civilized and interesting conversation.

I wish people would read these long threads before chiming in and condemning people when in fact that was not the case at all in this thread. They just assumed it was.

 

[Gracie09]

I haven't read this whole thread because frankly it's just a lot of "I'm right...NO I'm right" talk. I still hold out the hope that our humanity has not broken down so much that a person would actually purposely break out peanuts because they were miffed someone was allergic. Really? It's peanuts. Now in the case of the woman who got belligerent with a flight attendant because he wouldn't bring her snowflake HOT food, THAT is being selfish and expecting other people to bow to you (or your child's) needs.
And just food for thought for those saying they don't care and are eating the dang peanuts anyway...
If an announcement is made and the parents can prove that the passengers were well aware their child had an anaphylactic reaction to peanuts, and someone purposely exposed said child and child then coded...well I wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of that lawsuit or criminal charges.

I don't believe one passenger owes another passenger any legally enforceable duty (except perhaps in a case of someone not able to open the exit row doors but affirming they can operate them in the event of an emergency.) the ada and the comparable law on aircraft does not favor one disability over another. So if one persons way to manage their disability is through eating peanut butter that is legally okay. No airline guarantees peanut free flights in the U.S.. A request is a request, that is all. They can attempt to limit exposure but can't guarantee that a fellow passenger may not have a medical need for the snack they personally packed which contains peanuts. Just like they can't guarantee diary free flights or perfume free flights or dog free flights or seafood free flights. All of which can cause a medical emergency to someone who is highly allergic to them. So although someone may sue, it is not likely to result in a win

Oh and it's not about being miffed someone is allergic to peanuts is about tending to the medical needs of yourself or a loved one. Also it's not analogous to the hot food issue as the passenger would be eating food they brought on board.