Being trapped in a metal tube at 30,000 feet seems to bring out the worst in people. Despite sharing a small space with dozens of others, some treat the plane cabin like their personal living space.
Reddit Thread Highlights
A thread on Reddit's AskUK titled "Worst thing you seen on a plane? What do you think is just not acceptable?" garnered over 200 responses, with holidaymakers keen to call out bad behavior they'd witnessed onboard. Common themes emerged among the complaints.
The original poster started the discussion, writing: "For me, it was that the lady sitting next to me was picking her toenails!" Many agreed that lack of shoes was a major etiquette breach. One poster claimed: "I was sat next to someone yesterday who took off their shoes and socks as soon as the opportunity allowed. They even went to the toilet barefoot."
They added: "It wasn't just the fact they were barefoot; it was the general hygiene, e.g., coughing and sneezing without covering, etc. They had me on edge the whole time thinking 'right... I'm catching whatever disease they've absorbed through the soles of their gross feet.'"
More Complaints
In a similar thread, posters complained about passengers performing tasks more suited to a private bathroom. One said: "I don’t like it when people clip their toenails. I’ve seen it three times. Twice a row across from me and another time in my same row." Another posted: "My wife and I were sitting in 1C and 1D. The guy in 1B pulled out dental floss after the meal and started going at his mouth like he was giving himself a root canal. Full-on two-handed flossing right in his seat."
Another said: "I try to be kind and understanding of the difficulties and lack of facilities, but a woman changed her baby’s ‘filled’ nappy in the middle of the cabin… twice. The stench roamed right through that B777."
Passenger Shaming on Social Media
Instagram account @passengershaming has amassed over 1.3 million followers thanks to its posts highlighting some of the worst behavior on planes. In one classic reel, a woman was seen using the overhead air vent to dry the crotch of her knickers. The viral video was captioned: "PRO TRAVEL TIP: Airplane air vents aren’t for drying underwear Kthx!"
Other examples include a woman using a foot file to remove hard skin, and a man opening a can of tuna on a plane for a snack, seemingly unperturbed about the smell in a confined space.
Calls for a National Database
While the examples above are mostly harmless, if disgusting, behavior, recently there have been calls to create a national database for abusive passengers. This would allow airlines to share information on disruptive passengers and restrict their access to flights. According to the BBC, Department for Transport officials will meet later this month to discuss the proposals, which would likely be a collaboration between the government and the airline industry.
