A man has sparked a fierce debate online after sharing his strict rules for anyone getting on board a flight, and there are certain ones that he refuses to budge on.
Sharing a Reddit post on January 1, user u/Nick_Waite said, "We need to talk about how people act on planes" because he's not happy about how some people behave in these confined spaces. He laid out nine key rules that he believes every passenger should follow, covering everything from their choice of food to the importance of personal space.
After his post gained so much attention online, with hundreds of votes and comments, the Redditor, from Vancouver, Canada, spoke to Newsweek about why he gets so frustrated by inconsiderate passengers. He said: "My genuine hope is that people eventually start to remember that the inside of a plane is a shared community. Flying isn't fun, but we can all be more mindful of others."
As the 31-year-old flies around three to four times a month for work, he knows just how annoying it can be when passengers appear to forget there are other people on board too. So, he created the nine rules that he feels people should keep in mind on their next flight.
The 9 rules of "plane etiquette", according to u/Nick_Waite:
Don't eat smelly food: "If it's a long flight, be courteous and pick inoffensive snacks."
Alcohol: "Whether it's how you act or if you get sick, we don't need to experience that with you."
Seat switching: "Don't expect a yes if you're asking someone to downgrade their class/exit row, window, or aisle for a worse seat."
Headphones: "No one else asked to listen to your music."
Feet: "Keep them in your socks at minimum."
Personal space: "Middle seat gets the armrests. Let's have no touching."
Coughing/sneezing: "At least cover your mouth when you cough."
Don't Barge Past: "It's okay to ask people in front of you to get off ahead of them if you have a tight connection, just do it kindly."
Be polite to flight crew: "You don't have to be chatty, but a smile and a thank you are enough."
According to a recent survey by YouGov, it's not just u/Nick_Waite who feels so strongly about this. Of the 1,000 U.S. adults in the poll, 61 percent said there should be an equal claim to the armrests in between seats and that one person shouldn't get the monopoly over them, and 43 percent said that the person in the window seat shouldn't have control over the shade.
Seat swapping is equally as contentious, as 46 percent of the respondents said they wouldn't swap seats with someone if they were getting the worse end of the deal. But if they were swapping to get a better seat, then 67 percent said they'd be willing to move.
A stock image of a woman looking at a departure board. A Reddit user has shared his nine rules of plane etiquette which he thinks every passenger should follow.A stock image of a woman looking at a departure board. A Reddit user has shared his nine rules of plane etiquette which he thinks every passenger should follow.Alina Rosanova/Getty ImagesThankfully, travel industry expert James Kinsella told Newsweek that the "majority of passengers tend to adhere to these guidelines," and that it's rarely "more than one or two passengers" who break the rules.
As the director of Turtle Trip, Kinsella has helped many passengers discover the best destination for them. But despite all the positive experiences, he said the most difficult incidents involved passengers who drank too much alcohol. "While rare, these situations can escalate quickly and may require diversion of the flight and law enforcement upon landing," he said.
He agrees with the Reddit user about sticking to the rules of plane etiquette and keeping it a tranquil place for everyone. It's only a few hours at most, so how hard can it be to refrain from doing anything wild for that long?
How Did Social Media React?
After receiving so many reactions to his post, u/Nick_Waite told Newsweek that he "got schooled on some stuff" which people didn't necessarily agree with. Many people disagreed with his point about not taking shoes off, but he said he "won't budge on people who go barefoot."
"I forgot some people's feet swell badly on flights. I just recommend thick socks and pack your shoes in a way that won't stink up the plane if you have smelly feet. Maybe bring slides or slippers," he continued.
He's been intrigued by the different responses he received, as many people raised additional points that he hadn't previously thought of. Overall, he hopes the post will help people think more about other passengers next time they step on board.
He told Newsweek: "We are too selfish by nature lately, and maybe my list is too selfish to begin with, I'll admit that. Originally, I was just venting but I really hope if people read it, they just become more mindful and courteous in nature in these uncomfortable spaces."
With more than 600 comments on the post at the time of writing, many people were quick to offer their own points, as one person wrote: "If your seat neighbor has headphones, assume they don't want to talk."
Another person wrote: "If your kid is using a tablet, PLEASE give them headphones. I've been on so many flights where kids are just playing them at full volume."
While another Redditor responded: "All this should be simple common sense, but we have all seen at least some of these on far too many flights."
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