'AITA for asking a couple to stop changing their baby’s diaper in the middle of a plane?'
"AITA for asking a couple to stop changing their baby’s diaper in the middle of a plane?"
I (28F) was on a flight for several hours today, seated behind a couple with a baby. I’m a really nauseous flyer, so I took a Dramamine ahead of time and did my best to get some sleep during the flight. This didn’t happen because of the baby’s crying, but oh well, I know flights are scary and stressful for infants and there was nothing anyone could do about that.
What got to me was the couple changing their baby’s extremely stinky #2 diaper right in the middle of their seats, using the mom’s food tray as a changing table. We were at the back of the plane right by the bathrooms, which I confirmed had baby changing tables when I had to go back there to throw up after the smell hit me.
I didn’t say anything the first time, but the second time I heard them go into the diaper bag a couple hours later I asked if they could please go use the plane bathroom instead of exposing everyone on the plane to the smell. The mom went off on me and said I had no idea how stressful it is to travel with an infant, which is true—I don’t have kids.
The flight attendant at the back of the plane agreed with me and asked them to only use the bathrooms to change their baby, plus a few minutes later the pilot made an announcement that all diaper-changing needed to be done in the bathrooms, after which both parents looked extremely annoyed.
AITA for asking them to stop changing their baby in the middle of the plane and inadvertently bringing it to the attention of the flight crew?
As with anything travel-related, people had passionate thoughts.
sbinjax wrote:
NTA. There are changing tables in the bathrooms. That's what they are for. Also, thank God the maintenance crews disinfect between flights. The thought of eating/drinking off a tray table used as a changing table makes me want to hurl.
ZippyKoala wrote:
NTA, and I say that as someone who has in fact travelled around the world with an infant. The loos have change tables, the change tables are far better and more comfortable for changing a baby than the tray table (not that I've ever done that because I'm not an a-hole).
Aside from anything else, like inflicting that smell on surrounding passengers, those tray tables are designed to hold food and may or may not be adequately cleaned in between flights, so there's an undoubted hygiene issue there as well. Ugh, some people are gross :/
Spaceinpigs wrote:
NTA. Pilot here. This is what the bathrooms are for. You aren’t alone in an aircraft and having an infant doesn’t excuse you from anti-social behaviour. If you can’t respect your fellow passengers, you probably shouldn’t be flying. I’m willing to bet if they were on the receiving end, they would be the first to complain.
I have many urine and fecal stories from my flights and I have zero tolerance for inexcusable behaviour. Accidents are fine. We’re all human and I have empathy for people with medical issues. Laziness and entitlement are where I draw the line. Flying is a privilege, not a right and I have no problem revoking that privilege for people who don’t play well with others.
elveebee22 wrote:
NTA, my god that's so unsanitary 😫 Keep the literal s**t in the bathroom where it belongs. I can't believe no one else complained. (This coming from a nanny who loves babies and has nothing but compassion for babies and parents on flights...but this is a massive NOPE.)