Monday, March 2, 2009

Airline rant --


I consider myself old-fashioned. I mean, really old-fashioned. I would say I'm more like my grandmother than my mother. That's how old-fashioned I am. I don't like crude humor and think it's really gone over the top these days. So, you can imagine my horror when I read this headline -- Airline may make customers pay to pee. Ugh -- I hate that word. I know it's common and probably everyone says it -- everyone but me. I think it sounds gross. I remember being at Disneyland once and a lady behind me turned to her daughter and loudly announced, "I gotta pee! Do you?" Had I been her teenaged daughter, I would have been mortified. I don't care what you gotta do and I certainly don't want to hear details about your bodily functions. And even more, I don't want to hear anyone in the restroom stall next to me carrying on a conversation on their cell phone. Call them back!

My friend Nancy sent me this article the other day about an airline in Ireland that is thinking about charging passengers to use the lavatory. What the heck? Would you pay $2.20 to use a toilet? Should you pay $2.20 to use a toilet? Isn't it bad enough airlines charge for every single thing -- now to go to the bathroom? Rick had to pay extra to sit by me on our trip to Vegas, in addition to baggage, something to drink and who knows what else. What irks me is how people skip out of paying to check a suitcase, so they bring on those oversized carry-ons. The entire overhead compartments are filled with suitcases and there's no room for your purse, jacket, or anything. No one follows the size guidelines and I've seen the airlines take the bags off before take-off and put them under with the checked bags. Tell me -- why aren't those people forced to pay like the rest of us? And now an airline is considering charging to use the toilet. It's insane. I can see it now -- some poor soul wets their pants mid-flight and says, "Sorry about the wet seat. I didn't have $2.20 to pee." What is the world coming to?

11 comments:

  1. UGH! Now I'm all ticked, too. I just flew to DC a bit ago and avoided using the lavatory. I hate those things... but if I was on a really long flight there's no way I'd be even remotely happy about spending money to use one!? Ugh!

    I hear you about all the other things, too. Yeah, I get free peanuts, but if I want anything else I have to pay. My ticket was expensive enough as it is!

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  2. I remember a lot of places in Europe charging to use the public toilets. Even at train stations, where we were paying to ride their trains.

    I thought it was weird - when one of the stalls didn't have toilet paper and I'd already paid to use the toilet, so I had to pay again and switch to another stall. :(

    Maybe that's TMI - it made me laugh though.

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  3. Kim -- That's funny about the toilet paper. I guess those are the times it helps to have tissue in your purse. I remember using pay toilets at gas stations and also when I was in England. But even so, you have the CHOICE to use them or not. You're just kind of stuck on a plane.

    Lady Glamis -- You got free peanuts? We actually flew on a no-frills flight, so even the peanuts you had to pay for. I remember the old days when you got an entire meal for free. It just bugs me how I have to pay to check my bags in and yet, someone comes along with a carry-on that's obviously too big for the compartments and they put it under for them free of charge. That's not right.

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  4. Having to pay to relieve yourself? Wow, that's definitely a new one. That can't possibly last very long. If one truly doesn't have the money on-hand, what happens? Do they give you a cup to do it in? Do you still have to somehow pay them to dispose of it afterward?

    It's not like it's alcohol or food - people can choose whether or not they want those things. Having to eventually relieve yourself is something everyone does. They're treating it like it's a freaking option.

    I'd tell them to put it on my tab. And if they refuse to do so, they can hold the cup for me. Watch that attendant rush to open the lavatory door for me then...

    Gale

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  5. I cannot imagine that would catch on! I think it would be more expensive to pay to clean the seats of the plane when someone refused to pay or didn't have any spare money! Eeewwwww...

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  6. Or traveling with a potty trained child?? I just about fell off my chair when I saw that article. Scary world we're turning into.

    Nancy

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  7. I can't remember ever saying the word pee when needing a restroom. But boy will I be glad when I don't have to use the word potty anymore! I told Ryan the other day that I had to use the restroom. He looked at me, cocked his head and then a light when on and he said (in his usual loud voice) "Oh - you have to go potty!!!" Thanks Ryan.

    But I digress. lol

    I can't belive airlines want to charge for potty privileges. That sounds crazy and yet they charge for everything else so why not? Plus in the case of the bathroom - they've got you. I mean if you need to go, you need to go. Maybe the airport will start selling Depends for those passengers unwilling to pay?

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  8. I share your ranting about airlines. I think that they've created their own problem as far as baggage goes. It's unrealistic to expect people to pay for one bag as seen by the overwhelming cases of noncompliance. And then for food on flights 8 hours long - this we found out on our flight to Hawaii. 8 hours is a lot when traveling with small children, and the sandwiches that they offer for $8-10 are almost like MRI rations. Yeesh. And now for any bodily functions. What are they thinking? It's insane. They need to cut their CEO bonuses and put a little more thought (and capital) into running a business and not a pay as you go thrift shop. Ugh.

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  9. This is why I drive and don't fly! I can pull over and 'take care of business' just about anywhere when I'm in a car...grin...

    And I agree that hearing when other people have to 'tinkle' is not something I need to know...

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  10. Wow, you would not want to have a gastro problem on a flight then...

    my 5yo was in a public toilet recently and heard the woman next to us "going" and said "whos that dong a wee too??" LOL, luckily the woman laughed.

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  11. Flying is something that we do a lot. So I hope they don't start charging. A 16 hour flight would start to get very expensive!

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