I came across this article on the Huffington Post and was unfortunately reminded of the worst passenger I ever had the pleasure of sitting next to. The guy decided it would be a good idea to CLIP HIS NAILS as I {and the entire plane} was enjoying their complimentary beverages. I still gag when I think about those little clippings hurdling towards me. Ugh.
For as often as I travel, I’ve been lucky to get pretty decent seatmates. The article lists the snorer, the chatterbox, the armrest hog, and the sudden seat recliner to name a few. I have been subjected to a few of those, but they are nothing compared to that crazy nail clipper. Can we all agree that clipping nails over someone else’s cranberry juice is just wrong?
Now I need to hear from you, have you ever been stuck beside a terrible passenger? What is the weirdest/grossest thing you’ve ever seen someone do on an airplane?
~Mavis
Katrina says
On a trip to Orlando, the 20 something guy beside me took off his shoes immediately after boarding (yes, he had pretty smelly feet!) took over the armrests (after his arm hairs rubbed against me, I spent the rest of the flight leaning as far in the other direction as I could) and then proceeded to talk very loudly to friends seated several seats in front and across the aisle. He completely ignored the other seatmate (he was in between me and another girl) and I (didn’t say hi or anything) and acted like there was one has on the plane besides him and his loudly talking friends! I felt like I was riding greyhound! Boo
Confession time for me though: My family was making a half way around the world flight with our baby. The airline spread our kids all over the airplane my husband and I and baby were seated between two elderly couples (one in front and another in back) of course with all the travel interrupting baby’s schedule he wouldn’t stop crying (we were trying everything to calm him down) the couple in front of us said to each other ‘It’s going to be a long flight, let the drinks begin!’ and then did order drinks and seemed to take the crying/fussing in stride with their headphones on and drinks in hand. BLESS THEM!
However, the couple behind us wouldn’t stop *beeping at us. They didn’t straight up say ‘excuse me, shut him up!’ Rather addressed all their bitching at us to the back of our heads clearing speaking so we heard them and were definitely talking to us. I was SO embarrassed and stressed out as we were very obviously doing everything in our power to calm baby down. I said ‘We’re so sorry’ a few times, but they weren’t having any of it.
Upon disembarking when our stroller came up we were trying to get it opened up with all our bags and keep track of the kids (we had 4) …another couple with 2 small kids rushed over and just opened the stroller and helped us gather our stuff in a corner. They were pure saints as well! I kept thanking them and apologizing for being in the way etc. They were like ‘No problem. We were the couple with the crying kid on the last flight’ Such kindness.
I guess my point is be as polite as possible and as patient as you can when others are struggling. And it’s WAY awesome to help someone when you can and super appreciated!!!
Marcia says
Yeah, I used to hate crying babies on planes, then I had kids. My kids have always been super good, but you just never know.
I flew alone with my 15 month old once, and had to rush between gates. People helped me. And at my final destination – well, I was sitting in a middle seat, baby in the window. Next to me was a SUPER tall guy. And he was traveling with his 3 boys in the opposite aisle. When we got off the plane, this guy gave my 25-lb back pack to his 10 year old to carry. I carried my kid and he carried my carseat.
That’s a far cry from the way back. When I hit my destination, everyone rushed to get past me, the flight attendant asked “whose car seat is this??” loudly, as I was trying to wrestle the kid and carseat. Ugh.
Veronica Vatter says
Flight from JFK to Heathrow. Five seconds after the seatbelt light goes off… Bam seats go fling back so they can watch the Wolf of Wall street. That was before dinner service! Then they decided to talk over their headphones to discuss said movie….. Awesome!
Leslie says
WHY do people clip their nails on planes?! So gross.
MH says
Just getting on a flight to Seattle and then home. Hoping for the best .
Jenny says
I think the worst was the time I was flying with a baby and the woman next to us was so drunk she started drooling and slobbering on me. She thought the baby was cute and would not leave us alone. It was so gross. I had to change my clothes when I got off the flight.
Tracy L. says
Ok!!!! Never on a plane. But I work for a law firm and one of the attorneys clips them at his desk!!!! Every time I hear it, it freaks me out!! SO DISGUSTING. Do that at home, please, I beg of you!
But, confession time. “I” was the bad seatmate once. I was 7 months pregnant, headed back to Seattle from the east coast. I was EXHAUSTED and I fell asleep. When I woke up I realized I was drooling all over my seatmates shoulder!!!!! My seatmate was a Hasidic Jew dressed all in black. Yes, yes it was obvious!!!! Could. Have. Died. At least mine was not intentional! You can choose to do personal grooming AT HOME.
Mavis says
I’m sorry but that visual of you drooling made me laugh!
Tracy L. says
I figured it would! . I can laugh now, but then I was mortified!!!
Irene says
Seat mate with the worst body odour ever. And then there was the time I sat next to a vaping drunk that weighed at least 300lbs. Almost suffocated.
Mrs. Chow says
Flight from the west coast to the east coast. Mom behind me, with her two kids, whom she failed to discipline. Six hours of both kids purposely kicking my seat, and one threw gum in my hair. I think this beats toenail clipping.
Mavis says
Gum in the hair? Holy canolies that’s totally worse! The seat kicker thing makes me crazy. How rude of that mom!
Mrs. Chow says
I kid you not. Gum. AND NO APOLOGY FROM MOM OR THE KIDS.
Elizabeth in Upstate NY says
Two Stories: Back in the day, professional football teams flew commercial. My mother had a 3-hr flight sitting between two linebackers. They had reserved the window and aisle seat, hoping no one would be between them. Mom said that while nice, they overflowed the arm rests.
Confession, I was a bad passenger. Was flying with baby and toddler sons by myself. Flight was a puddle jumper, and there were passengers already on board at our stop. We were NOT given seats next to each other nor were we even close in rows. The flight attendants wanted to get off the ground so they weren’t sympathetic to my requests to move people. During the flight, my toddler tried to tell me that his diaper overflowed, but I wasn’t allowed back to him. The drink cart was in the way. When we all got off the plane, his seat was soaked. Tried to tell the staff, but they were in a hurry to turn the plane around. Someone sure got a wet surprise when they sat down!
Lisa says
Sounds more like an airline problem than a bad passenger problem. You tried…they wouldn’t work with you!
Marcia says
OMG. Well you tried.
Mavis says
Oh man, that sounds terrible {for you!}. And I wouldn’t consider you a “bad passenger.” That wasn’t your fault!
Marcia says
Mostly just big guys who overflow the seats. One 6.5 hour flight to Hawaii with a guy’s elbow in my side the whole way.
Mavis says
Ugh! 6.5 hours of that might just send me over the edge! Is passenger rage a thing?
Gerri says
Clipping nails really? Nasty. But hey lets look at the brighter side…
He could have been FLOSSING HIS TEETH!!!
Ana says
I was 19 and heading off to my second assignment with the Air Force at Camp Red Cloud, Republic of Korea. I was of course in the middle seat, a tiny Korean woman had the window and a very large, very muscular Marine had the asile. Normally, I’d be quite happy, however the Marine took up his seat, more than 1/2 of mine, and a large portion of the asile (yep, he was THAT BIG).
So I was perched on my left hip turned toward the lovely lady and the window for about 5 hours….and then she pulled out the fish she had brought in her carry on bag. It was wrapped in a newspaper, and the smell…OMG, I can still smell that horrible smell (it’s been 21 years!).
Within about 20 minutes most of the plane was retching into air sickness bags. The poor flight attendants were trying to hold it together, but there was no place they could dispose of the fish and the smell over powered every effort they made to disperse it. 10 hours later, we finally landed. Every passenger and all of the flight crew looked and smelled like a sweaty, stinky mess.
The moral of the story: I always make sure to get an asile seat now, I may not be able to choose who sits near me, but I make sure I have an easy exit to get away from them for break.
Brianna says
That is terrible with the fish, but so funny!
I used to work for a major airline and did my share of non-rev flying and I saw and heard a lot of stories about awkward passengers. I was flying back from training and an older lady was sitting next to me. She pulled a mirror out of her purse and some tweezers. I thought eyebrow tweezing, but boy was I wrong. She started picking at her facial hair……mustache, chin, neck, etc. I kept getting blinded by the mirror glaring with the sun through the window. She made a few silly comments about how she use to look great like me, but when her hormones stopped she just started growing whiskers. She informed me that I would be doing the same someday. Even if I grow menopausal facial hair, I sure as heck won’t be plucking it on an airplane. I like my privacy!
Bren says
I sat behind a guy from Indy to Reno and he kept is barf bag to his mouth the entire trip. He heaved repeatedly for almost 3 hours. That was bad
Laura says
Well, I feel compelled to stand up for the nail clippers! I invariably break one or more nails on long airplane flights. They always break really low and are very painful. I clip them short once they break so they don’t snag on anything and hurt me further.
So, maybe some of the clipper people are doing the same as me. I would rather not, but better to clip it short than have it catch on something and rip off! No, I don’t do my regular clipping on the plane, just the “emergency” stuff!
So, a counter point, lol.
Jenn says
At least go in the bathroom to clip your nails though! I would rather clip it short too… just not around other people.
Mary Keen says
I just got off a plane 9/11/15 from Australia, the man behind me smelled, and 1/2 hour into 14 hour flight took off his shoes, stinky feet which he tried to put between my seat and the one next to me, I took my blanket and pillow and stuffed it between my seat and he took the hint, and moved his feet and himself to lay down on three seats next to him, but not before removing his socks. I felt sorry for the man on the last seat. He slept for quite a while and woke up and in order to stretch his legs he put his bare feet on the top back of the seat next to me. I smelled something and looked up and there were his size 12’s sticking over the top of the seat. My husband told him in a firm voice to put down his bare feet. His remark back to my husband was “Why are you talking to me like that Mate”. I went and got the Steward. And that was only one part of the horrific flight home there was more drama before we arrived home.