A Reddit thread in the ‘r/delta’ forum on Reddit has sparked a significant amount of discussion about the most bizarre and unusual experiences that passengers can encounter while flying. The thread, which was initiated by a user asking, ‘What’s the weirdest thing to happen to you on a plane?’ has generated over 2,000 reactions. One user shared a story about a man in the window seat who played a wooden recorder while flying, and played ‘Amazing Grace’ during the time when the plane was landing. The user said that this was ‘by far the absolute weirdest thing I’ve seen inside an aircraft.’
Other Redditors shared their own experiences with bizarre and unusual flight incidents, such as a woman who brought her rooster in the overhead bin, but it got loose. Another user mentioned an incident where a woman brought her spaghetti and meatballs with her onto the plane, but she was eating it out of one of those plastic thank-you bags. A third user described a situation where an old dude kept asking him questions about his job even after he put his headphones on multiple times, and couldn’t take a hint. Another Redditor said, ‘The weirdest I’ve seen was someone changing their baby’s diaper on their seatback table. Yep, the entire plane smelled of dirty diaper for the rest of the flight.’
Travel experts have commented on these unusual incidents, noting that etiquette and personal space are essential to maintaining a comfortable environment on airplanes. Gary Leff, a travel industry expert and author of the blog ‘View From the Wing,’ emphasized that passengers need to be mindful of others and consider their personal space. ‘Passengers have a zone of personal space on the plane that roughly corresponds to the area of their seat,’ he said. ‘Within that space, there are all types of behavior that might come under criticism, usually in the realm of personal hygiene and grooming, but it really comes down to the discretion of the individual.’
Former flight attendant and etiquette expert Jacqueline Whitmore echoed Leff’s sentiments, adding that it’s important to practice spatial awareness and avoid behaviors that could be considered rude. ‘The seats may be getting smaller by the day, but that doesn’t give you the right to spill over into someone else’s space or put your head on another person’s shoulder — unless, of course, you know that person well,’ she said. ‘From an etiquette standpoint, it is rude to walk about barefooted in a public place as many germs can be transmitted from your feet.’
Leff also pointed out that the increasing affordability of air travel has led to a diverse group of people being packed into the same space. ‘What that means is that all sorts of different people with different customs and expectations are now thrown together inside a metal tube,’ he said. ‘Then add in that people may be afraid to fly, or are traveling for emotionally stressful reasons such as visiting family, leaving home (or escaping a bad home situation) or going to a funeral. Air travel brings together disparate people in stressful times who act as though they’re in private.’
He further noted that he’s seen passengers drinking too much, arguing with a spouse, and even traveling barefoot. ‘Humans are strange creatures, indeed,’ he added.