Trivial Airplane Etiquette Question
 

Hello all,

First of all, this is admittedly a trivial and possibly stupid travel question. However, hope springs eternal that you experienced travelers out there could settle a debate.

I have a very good friend who travels on airplanes about 2 or 3 times per year. I consider her a nice person who is highly educated (PhD) and generally socially adept.

Recently, however, we traveled together on a plane, and I was taken aback by something that she did. After chewing several pieces of chewing gum (the new gum w/o any wrappers) during the flight, she would "dispose" of the chewed up piece by putting it into the "barf bag" in the seat pocket in front of her, and then she would put the bag back in the seat pocket.

I "called her" on this behavior, and she stated that she believed that this did not constitute a breech of etiquette because she believed and/or expected that the cleaning crew would discover the gum and throw the bag away, replacing it with a brand new one for the next passenger. My position was (and still is) that we can barely expect the cleaning crew to clean and replace obvious things (e.g. pillows and blankets), much less something like that.

We decided to let this board decide whether this behavior is permissible or not. I know that in the big scheme of things this is miniscule, however, we would love to know what your thoughts are.

Thanks in advance.

I don't even want to KNOW what some of her other habits might be. Trivial? I suppose it is. Does she really think that the cleaning crew routinely inspects every bag to make sure it is empty? I doubt it and this "rationale" of hers was probably very hastily formulated when she got that shock of you "calling" her on the behavior. Is she one of those people that also puts here shod feet on the seats, too? I wonder what she does with her used gum wads in her home?
Next time, hand her a Kleenex!

Airline personnel certainly do NOT check air sickness bags for ABC gum. They assume that used bags have been disposed of quickly after they have been "filled". Of course, if someone left a used diaper stuffed in one, that would be noticible.

Well, I suppose if the chewed up gum made the two sides of the bag stick together thus rendering it impossible for the next person in need of it to actually use it, well, that would be MORE than a breach of etiquette.

It might be a disaster.

I don't see anything wrong with using the bag to collect trash (bits of paper, gum, etc.) as long as you drop it in the trash bag the stewards bring around before landing. Why in the world would you leave it in the pocket after you've used it?

If the bag performed a multi-purpose function, I don't think they'd have invested in labeling it's purpose on the outside of the bag. I doubt that a cleaning crew is replacing 150+ unused little paper bags after every flight.

My vote is she's wrong - but that it's not much of a crime. I think the yuk factor is moot for the person who *does* take it out for it's intended purpose. :&

She probably also leaves shopping carts out in the parking lot so others have to clean up after her there too???

Using an air sickness bag for trash is barely acceptable - but only if she disposes of it when they pick up the cabins before landing. But to stick gum in one and then put it back in the seat back pocket is really yucky.

I hope she doesn't ever need one of those bags when someone before her has used it for gum . . . . .

Definitely not permissible behavior. I am always amazed that people don't clean up their own garbage.

Janis, you just mentioned my pet peeve--grocery carts strewn across the parking lot.

I usually have a plastic bag that I use for my various trash on airplanes. I can't imagine putting gum in the barf bag. After all, you get a napkin with your drink--why not put it in the napkin and dispose of it when they collect the empty cups. You're right, dfo.

Sadly, it's a fairly trivial offence (though personally, I think chewing gum is loutish under all circumstances).

Trivial, because at least she wrapped the stuff up.

The real debate is whether by calling her on the offence you might accidentally encourage her to even more anti-social behaviour.

As the pavements (and table undersides, and chair arms and...) of Europe so depressingly testify: there are worse things you can do with gum.

Ban the stuff. In every form everwhere. Singapore's opening the door to the junk is the beinnning of the collapse of civilisation.

Hi,

Your friend's behavior is not permissible.

She should place her chewed gum in a small Limoges porcelain dish, which is then removed by an assistant waiter and replaced with a fresh one.

This is most interesting. While perusing the US forum, on which this very question is posted, I noticed it sits at the top of the pile with nearly 50 answers. People are jumping over each other in anxiety to discuss etiquette. On the European forum, it languished at post #172 before I topped it with this answer!

Can this mean anything?

Re: "After chewing several pieces of chewing gum (the new gum w/o any wrappers) during the flight,..."

Trivial -- and I can just imagine someone who's airsick exclaiming "My God! I can't vomit in THAT bag...there's USED GUM in there! That makes me SICK! Hey, wait a minute, what I am thinking...I already AM sick." -- but I don't get it. The gum comes without wrappers so that means the only other thing she can think to put the used gum in is the barf bag? Like there aren't other little bits of paper lying around that she could use?