After several years of fairly regular air travel, cancelled connections and crew no-shows have officially become distant second inconveniences to enduring fellow travelers, giving the term “fly at your own risk” a whole new meaning.
I wasn’t surprised when I read about the recent naked man running through an aircraft nor about the woman hiding in the overhead luggage bin. But I was stunned that a guy next to me in the bustling terminal clipped all ten of his toenails into the fake plant adjacent to his chair (yep, that happened).
Despite Delta, American and United all having policies permitting them to deny the transport of people with offensive body odor, many are still permitted to board flights.
Some experiences have been weird or funny. People watching while waiting shoeless in long lines is often interesting.
Other trips have given me some serious anxiety. For example, the 6’4” muscular man who was throwing his bags and yelling expletives at a flight attendant on a plane I took six months ago.
I have experienced some unpleasant and bizarre happenings but only recently did an incident become personal.
During a six-hour delay, a couple hundred of us weary travelers observed a middle-aged man wandering the busy terminal, talking loudly to anyone that would listen. He occasionally went on wild rants at deafening volume. We were mostly New Yorkers and though we noticed, he honestly seemed harmless.
He not only ended up on our flight, but was sitting in my seat. Usually, I travel solo. This time, my husband was with me. My husband kindly reminded him of the mistake and the man immediately moved to the next row, sitting directly behind me. Then, he leaned his face into the space between the seats and said something perverse.
A neighbor passenger and I exchanged glances wondering if we heard right. My husband turned asking, “what did you say?”
“You happy now?” the man replied, clearly not what he said the first time.
Gripping the arm rests, my husband let the original comment slide, answering, “sure, all good.” People within earshot began whispering about their concourse observations.
Next up, a young gentleman arrived, stared behind me and showed his phone to the flight attendant.
The crew member directed to the man behind me: “Sir, you are in the wrong seat. Please get up and hand me your ticket.”
Rising, he leaned over, pressing a hand deep into my husband’s shoulder while speaking another pornographic, vile statement. Nearby parents cringed and covered their children’s ears. My husband stood, readying himself for what might ensue.
The flight attendant immediately intervened, ushering the man to the rear of the plane. In less than 10 minutes, he was being escorted up the aisle by two men and taken off the airbus. Once in the back row, the man displayed revolting behavior to accompany his remarks, earning him a return to the terminal. Turns out, he wasn’t harmless, per our cabin crew who confirmed with authorities.
Compared to international business travelers and global photographers, my airline tales are worth a shrug. After all, mine didn’t result in yet another fist fight that ended up on your newsfeed. Be assured that viral in-flight rage videos shared around the office are not entertainment as a live experience, where violence is erupting twelve inches above your head in a very confined space.
As of June 30th, 2024, the FAA received 893 unruly passenger reports so far this year. Imagine how many more are to come and how many incidents never made it to a formal investigation.
Airport arrests that lead to quick release and fines haven’t corrected bad flight behavior. The FAA’s zero tolerance policy hasn’t deterred the intoxicated passengers, high travelers and most alarming, the rise of in-flight sexual assaults.
Perhaps verbal abuse, physical attacks and depraved acts on board are simply a reflection of the increasing civil disobedience in society. Things like traditional religion and American laws once upon a time encouraged people to restrain themselves. Fear of God or severe consequences delivered in the courts didn’t eradicate human depravity, but discouraged acting upon it.
Air travel wasn’t always like this. The mere opportunity to fly was once a privilege. People wore pants and shirts and conducted themselves like they were experiencing something special – because they were.
The risks associated with flying are real. The plane crashing is becoming the last one on my mind.
Tales from a Mid-Lifer 
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