4 of my pet peeves while flying

[PigsDad]

Another of my peeves is when people take up most of the overhead bin space with items that could go under their seats.

Some of us have long legs, and need the under seat space for our FEET.

Kurt

 

[klpca]

However, in the rare cases when the spreader is female, they have seemed to act as if I'm assaulting them when I don't cede my space to them.

I sat next to a pretty large woman flying home from Maui. I was in the middle between her and my very broad shouldered husband. She wanted me to put the armrest up. Unfortunately I have bad shoulders - a combo of rotator cuff issues and rheumatoid arthritis - and I told her that I had to rest my arm on the arm rest. It was a small battle for the remainder of the flight. We shared the arm rest which was kind of awkward but whatever, but when I used the loo, the armrest would be up when I came back and we'd start the discussion again. Nope, my shoulders are still painful, still need the arm rest. Ugh.

Oh well. And I love chatting with folks on the flight (But totally respect the ones that don't want to chat - it's obvious). I wish there was a section for the chatters, lol. I would sit there for sure

Oh well, it's essentially very expensive public transportation. You just have to roll with it.

 

[undrpar64]

A pilot friend of mine answered the question I had about loading from the back to the front. His response (apparently had been asked this question several times before), is that would probably work if you wanted to store your carry ons in the back and then come find your seat in the front. His reasoning is that some if not all who board first are very likely to place their stored items in the overhead at the front of the plane. He then asked me how I would try to control those who seated in the rear but placing their stored items in the front. I had no answer. I have witnessed flyers using the available storage space at the front of the plane and then proceeding to their seat farther back. Boarding front first now makes a lot of sense.

 

[klpca]

If the rule is to the right, then the aisle seat would get two armrests, so that won't do. But I had never thought about the middle person getting both. Is that compensation for having to sit in the middle? Too bad so many, men mostly I've found, take both no matter which seat they are in.

I agree. I'm married to one. I always have to fight him for the arm rest real estate

 

[bbodb1]

It seems like I recall a time when passenger loading / unloading used to occur at both ends of the plane - front and rear - concurrently. Or was I dreaming?

 

[Lydlady]

Good rule on the armrest but that hasn't been my experience overall. I recall when, other than first and business class, boarding was from the rear first. When they changed it up for economy, I asked a flight attendant about it. I was told that people who boarded first, but were seated at the back, would put their carry on items in the bins closer to the front and then stop on the way out to get them down and that caused too many problems. Another of my peeves is when people take up most of the overhead bin space with items that could go under their seats.

A pilot friend of mine answered the question I had about loading from the back to the front. His response (apparently had been asked this question several times before), is that would probably work if you wanted to store your carry ons in the back and then come find your seat in the front. His reasoning is that some if not all who board first are very likely to place their stored items in the overhead at the front of the plane. He then asked me how I would try to control those who seated in the rear but placing their stored items in the front. I had no answer. I have witnessed flyers using the available storage space at the front of the plane and then proceeding to their seat farther back. Boarding front first now makes a lot of sense.

Hmm, interesting. I tend to be one of the last ones on the plane so I didn't realize about passengers in the back loading their items in the front.

 

[slip]

My defense against all these pet peeves is to not let any of that stuff bother me. Most of the time I’m going on vacation so I don’t sweat the small stuff. I just roll with it all and smile.

 

[rickandcindy23]

I sat next to a pretty large woman flying home from Maui. I was in the middle between her and my very broad shouldered husband. She wanted me to put the armrest up. Unfortunately I have bad shoulders - a combo of rotator cuff issues and rheumatoid arthritis - and I told her that I had to rest my arm on the arm rest. It was a small battle for the remainder of the flight. We shared the arm rest which was kind of awkward but whatever, but when I used the loo, the armrest would be up when I came back and we'd start the discussion again. Nope, my shoulders are still painful, still need the arm rest. Ugh.

Oh well. And I love chatting with folks on the flight (But totally respect the ones that don't want to chat - it's obvious). I wish there was a section for the chatters, lol. I would sit there for sure

Oh well, it's essentially very expensive public transportation. You just have to roll with it.

There is this wonderful new air travel, inflatable pillow, which I am considering for SW flights to/from the coast before our first-class seats to Hawaii (we go to Hawaii 2-3 times per year). The pillow is for the tray table, and you can lean forward on the pillow from that middle seat. I have seen a few people with this pillow, and they just rest there on that pillow and listen to their music. I think this the answer for middle seat sitting. To/from Maui, you ought to look into first class seats, especially since you live on the coast. I also saw a different pillow that might be comfortable as well, but leaning on the tray is something I do anyway. A soft pillow on the tray would be ideal.

 

[silentg]

All of these seem trivial after that scary flight on Southwest from New York heading to Dallas. Had to be emergency landed in Pennsylvania. Very sad.

 

[mdurette]

For me it is any type of sound coming out of a device. I acknowledge this is a bit an issue for me - but the pitch/tone of device speakers may has well be nails on a chalkboard. I cringe. Doesn't have to be a plane - could be anywhere - even my own house when a family member is watching something on their phone. The worse is little kids hand held games.

 

[isisdave]

With regard to using the seat(s) in front of me to stand and exit a row:

I've been flying for about 60 years now, and know I used to be able to do that without touching the row in front of me. I can't any longer. I am not certain, but I think this is due to three things:

1. The bleeping rows are closer together,
2. My leg and hip muscles are not quite as strong, and
3. In order to stand upright, your center of gravity has to be over your feet. Even once I'm up, I cannot stand upright, facing forward, with my calves against my own seat, whether or not the seat in front of me is upright or not, because in either case it is occupying the space above my feet. I either have to hold on (which you can do quite gently once you're upright), or to bend my head forward to move my CG over my feet.

So please remember that not everyone is as young, strong, and able as yourself, and give thanks as I find myself doing more and more these days, "If this is the worst problem I have to put up with today, I'm more fortunate than 90% of the world's population."

 

[x3 skier]

It seems like I recall a time when passenger loading / unloading used to occur at both ends of the plane - front and rear - concurrently. Or was I dreaming?

Back in the day before boarding gate tunnels, DC-9’s used the stairs in the tail and the front door for boarding. After D B Cooper used the aft air stairs to parachute out with his loot, they were locked out. Some airports have gates that use front and mid/rear doors.

Piston airplanes like Connies and DC-4/6/7 used front and rear stairs.

Cheers

 

[beejaybeeohio]

I'm usually not peeved about other pax; however we are between flights at this moment and I now do have a big pet peeve- a headache from perfume overdose!! To me it's an odor that lasts the entire flight vs. a fart or two that dissipates and usually is beyond the control of the culprit.

 

[klpca]

Here's a previously unmentioned pet peeve: when your airline cancels your flight less than 2 weeks before your departure. Shall I cut my vacation short by one day - or - add a day, but leave from an airport in a different city? Fun times. I just received this email about a half hour ago from Volaris. I'm trying to make like a duck and let it roll off my back, but jeez, I'm really not too happy about this.

 

[clifffaith]

All of these seem trivial after that scary flight on Southwest from New York heading to Dallas. Had to be emergency landed in Pennsylvania. Very sad.

I hope she was knocked unconscious going through the window so instantaneously that she never had the tiniest inkling of what was happening. Such a tragedy.

 

[Pardytime]

One of my pet peeves is related to... DON’T GRAB MY SEAT! as in, don't sit in my assigned seat. I prefer a window seat and pay extra for seat assignment and at least 25% of the time arrive at my seat to find someone else in it. After politely bringing to their attention that I have that seat, I have gotten various reactions from sullen and non responsive, to nastiness for the rest of the flight. I don't like to be put in the position of having to ask for my seat. Asking the Flight attendant to intervene feels like calling the cops.

 

[LannyPC]

4. SPEND THE $25 AND CHECK THAT OVERSIZED BAG. Yes, you made it past everyone with a bag that is bigger than allowed. You squish it into the overhead compartment, not caring whose belongings you crush, not caring that you are using more space than was intended for you. And on the occasion when all the overhead space is used up, you piss and moan that you now need to gate-check the bag (even though you're getting it checked for free instead of for $25.)

A little off-topic here and I hope I'm not opening a big, new can of worms and I know this topic has been discussed at length here on TUG but this is one reason why airlines should reconsider charging for checked bags. Sadly, it makes people stuff more stuff into and bring more carry-ons on board.

 

[x3 skier]

I’m Surprised nobody is peeved about people who bring aboard their support Peacocks.

Cheers

 

[Jan M.]

Is there a general etiquette rule about armrests?

Okay some common sense here. The aisle and window seats obviously have an armrest that is just theirs but they are not entitled to both. The middle seat is dependent on at least one of those two fellow passengers not being inconsiderate hogs. However that doesn't mean the middle seat should get both armrests for the entire flight. When I have the middle seat I try to take turns using just one at a time and switch off part way through the flight. Quite often the window seat passenger seems to fall asleep or leans to the other side which leaves that armrest open. As long as I can see they wouldn't be using that armrest I use it and leave the other one open. I don't have the right to commandeer both armrests at the same time anymore than the passengers on either side of me do.

I fully admit to being overweight but not so much that I can't fit my body in my space and only my space. Overweight people aren't the only space offenders. If you have long legs or really big shoulders and they spill over into the middle seat space you need to buy two seats. I've sat through an entire flight in the middle seat not just with no armrest but with way more body contact from long legs and big shoulders than anyone should have to put up with. Sorry I didn't enjoy your arm or elbow over into my space and pressing into me or having your leg pressed against mine. This also applies to the younger men who feel they have to have their legs spread way apart when they sit down. I swear the next time I'm seated next to one of these men I'm going to pointedly look down and tell him "Honey, I know your boys aren't big enough to need that much space so unless you want me to tell the flight attendant you are a pervert keep your leg out of my space."

I now do have a big pet peeve- a headache from perfume overdose!! To me it's an odor that lasts the entire flight vs. a fart or two that dissipates and usually is beyond the control of the culprit.

Perfume is a major issue for me as many perfumes give me a migraine. I fully admit to being old school when it comes to perfume. A lady's perfume should only be enough to be smelled by someone in close proximity to her. To wear more than that indicates you are uneducated in the social graces or are less than a lady. If when someone wearing heavy perfume is seated in my vicinity I immediately ask the flight attendant if I can move anywhere else. A few months back I was on a completely full flight and that wasn't possible. The woman was in the row ahead me and used the restroom midway through the flight and just before the plane started to descend. Both times she applied more perfume. I wish I could say this is the only time I've ever seen a woman do this on a flight. Apparently this woman was oblivious to the dirty looks from the flight attendant and fellow passengers the first time she reapplied it and the second time she received some rather rude remarks much to my amusement. One person even covered their face with the front of their jacket to make sure she understood how offensive they found her cloud of perfume. I always have an allergy pill in my purse and had taken it right away and always have tissues too but after she reapplied it the second time my nose and eyes were streaming non stop and I was repeatedly sneezing. I was glad I had already quietly explained and apologized to my seat mates so they knew I wasn't getting sick with something they could catch.

Our funny, but not so funny gas/fart story. We still remember a four hour flight home from Vegas when a woman seated next to me had terrible, absolutely foul gas. My husband and I had aisle seats across from each other. When this couple boarded we offered to trade seats and sit next to each other so this woman, late 20's to early 30's, and her boyfriend could sit next to each other. She declined which I thought was odd but figured they might not be getting along. Then the gas started. Every about 15 minutes a foul cloud of gas so bad I tried not to breathe but couldn't hold my breath long enough for that to dissipate. The person on the other side of her was hugging the wall of the plane and sound asleep before we even took off but every once in a while after one of her gas eruptions would blearily open his eyes, look around puzzled then go right back to sleep. I normally sleep through a night flight too but not that time. I wanted to ask her if something crawled up inside her and died! I offered her mints, gum, a pepcid hoping they would settle her stomach but she declined them. I not so subtly told her anytime she wanted out to just let me know even if I nodded off. Finally just before the plane was about to start the descent she got up and went to the restroom. She took her tote bag from the overhead bin with her and when she finally came back I thought she had changed her pants. No more gas for the rest of the flight. I really wanted and came close to bitching her out about why couldn't she have just used the restroom over three hours ago and spared me three hours of breathing her foul stench instead of holding it in so she wouldn't have to use the restroom on the plane. We had a good laugh on the way home about her hiding her problem from her boyfriend who btw slept the whole flight home. My husband said I was nicer than he would have been. He had gotten a whiff across the aisle one time he woke up and I had tipped my head towards her to indicate it was her so he knew what was going on but said if he had known it was so bad I couldn't sleep that he would have woken the boyfriend up and asked him to trade seats with me saying he wanted me next to him.

 

[mdurette]

I’m Surprised nobody is peeved about people who bring aboard their support Peacocks.

Cheers

that's funny!

 

[mdurette]

that's funny!

and really....who the heck passes gas on a plane! Rude.

 

[Jan M.]

and really....who the heck passes gas on a plane! Rude.

I wish I could say that it is uncommon but that wouldn't be true. Passing gas is a pretty normal body function and frequently goes unnoticed by others. Some people are nervous flyers, some eat heavy or spicy meals before flying and then are those who hold it in to avoid using the restrooms on the planes. These people are the not so fragrant fliers. Lol

 

[Sapper]

Okay some common sense here. The aisle and window seats obviously have an armrest that is just theirs but they are not entitled to both. The middle seat is dependent on at least one of those two fellow passengers not being inconsiderate hogs. However that doesn't mean the middle seat should get both armrests for the entire flight. When I have the middle seat I try to take turns using just one at a time and switch off part way through the flight. Quite often the window seat passenger seems to fall asleep or leans to the other side which leaves that armrest open. As long as I can see they wouldn't be using that armrest I use it and leave the other one open. I don't have the right to commandeer both armrests at the same time anymore than the passengers on either side of me do.

I fully admit to being overweight but not so much that I can't fit my body in my space and only my space. Overweight people aren't the only space offenders. If you have long legs or really big shoulders and they spill over into the middle seat space you need to buy two seats. I've sat through an entire flight in the middle seat not just with no armrest but with way more body contact from long legs and big shoulders than anyone should have to put up with. Sorry I didn't enjoy your arm or elbow over into my space and pressing into me or having your leg pressed against mine. This also applies to the younger men who feel they have to have their legs spread way apart when they sit down. I swear the next time I'm seated next to one of these men I'm going to pointedly look down and tell him "Honey, I know your boys aren't big enough to need that much space so unless you want me to tell the flight attendant you are a pervert keep your leg out of my space."



Perfume is a major issue for me as many perfumes give me a migraine. I fully admit to being old school when it comes to perfume. A lady's perfume should only be enough to be smelled by someone in close proximity to her. To wear more than that indicates you are uneducated in the social graces or are less than a lady. If when someone wearing heavy perfume is seated in my vicinity I immediately ask the flight attendant if I can move anywhere else. A few months back I was on a completely full flight and that wasn't possible. The woman was in the row ahead me and used the restroom midway through the flight and just before the plane started to descend. Both times she applied more perfume. I wish I could say this is the only time I've ever seen a woman do this on a flight. Apparently this woman was oblivious to the dirty looks from the flight attendant and fellow passengers the first time she reapplied it and the second time she received some rather rude remarks much to my amusement. One person even covered their face with the front of their jacket to make sure she understood how offensive they found her cloud of perfume. I always have an allergy pill in my purse and had taken it right away and always have tissues too but after she reapplied it the second time my nose and eyes were streaming non stop and I was repeatedly sneezing. I was glad I had already quietly explained and apologized to my seat mates so they knew I wasn't getting sick with something they could catch.

Our funny, but not so funny gas/fart story. We still remember a four hour flight home from Vegas when a woman seated next to me had terrible, absolutely foul gas. My husband and I had aisle seats across from each other. When this couple boarded we offered to trade seats and sit next to each other so this woman, late 20's to early 30's, and her boyfriend could sit next to each other. She declined which I thought was odd but figured they might not be getting along. Then the gas started. Every about 15 minutes a foul cloud of gas so bad I tried not to breathe but couldn't hold my breath long enough for that to dissipate. The person on the other side of her was hugging the wall of the plane and sound asleep before we even took off but every once in a while after one of her gas eruptions would blearily open his eyes, look around puzzled then go right back to sleep. I normally sleep through a night flight too but not that time. I wanted to ask her if something crawled up inside her and died! I offered her mints, gum, a pepcid hoping they would settle her stomach but she declined them. I not so subtly told her anytime she wanted out to just let me know even if I nodded off. Finally just before the plane was about to start the descent she got up and went to the restroom. She took her tote bag from the overhead bin with her and when she finally came back I thought she had changed her pants. No more gas for the rest of the flight. I really wanted and came close to bitching her out about why couldn't she have just used the restroom over three hours ago and spared me three hours of breathing her foul stench instead of holding it in so she wouldn't have to use the restroom on the plane. We had a good laugh on the way home about her hiding her problem from her boyfriend who btw slept the whole flight home. My husband said I was nicer than he would have been. He had gotten a whiff across the aisle one time he woke up and I had tipped my head towards her to indicate it was her so he knew what was going on but said if he had known it was so bad I couldn't sleep that he would have woken the boyfriend up and asked him to trade seats with me saying he wanted me next to him.

To me, who ever the poor wretch stuck in the middle seat is, they get both arm rests. I tend to be an aisle seat guy, and will tell the middle seat it's theirs.

Regarding the gas............ Deep breath (no pun intended).....
Returning from the first part of our honeymoon in Antigua, I both caught some kind of stomach bug AND had eaten something bad our last night at the resort (Sandals is evil). The morning of the flight, I felt something; by the time we were on the flight, things were not good. I ended up in the ER upon arrival into Houston. The point of my embarrassing story is some times things cannot be helped.

 

[Jan M.]

To me, who ever the poor wretch stuck in the middle seat is, they get both arm rests. I tend to be an aisle seat guy, and will tell the middle seat it's theirs.

Regarding the gas............ Deep breath (no pun intended).....
Returning from the first part of our honeymoon in Antigua, I both caught some kind of stomach bug AND had eaten something bad our last night at the resort (Sandals is evil). The morning of the flight, I felt something; by the time we were on the flight, things were not good. I ended up in the ER upon arrival into Houston. The point of my embarrassing story is some times things cannot be helped.

What a way to end your honeymoon! I imagine you were in great distress. I had food poisoning once when we were in Vegas on vacation. Being sick like that away from home was bad enough but being stuck on a plane going through that is the stuff of nightmares!

 

[Sapper]

What a way to end your honeymoon! I imagine you were in great distress. I had food poisoning once when we were in Vegas on vacation. Being sick like that away from home was bad enough but being stuck on a plane going through that is the stuff of nightmares!

Returning from Antigua was the half way mark in the planned honeymoon, but you are correct, that was the end. Haha. Luckily, my new bride was a champ through it... and she has not fired me yet (now six years later).