Everyone loves fruit – well, maybe not those on a flight who are constantly pointing out how annoying peeling it can be.
Recently, one person took to Reddit to ask the question: "Out of curiosity, is it rude to peel oranges on a flight?"
It started a huge debate people probably were not expecting.
The original poster revealed that he “loves the smell of citrus” but wasn’t sure if it would be offensive to the passengers sitting next to him.
Peeling oranges on a flight?
byu/itsanarjun inflightattendants
While you might think an orange is a harmless in-air snack with a pleasant smell, not everyone feels the same, and some people are actually allergic.
Those who felt it was a blunder argued that anything that leaves a mess or requires a tissue (particularly if it is a small clementine, which tend to be juicier) should generally be avoided.
“No, just do not hand me your mess of peelings while I am walking down the aisle doing my compliance checks with no gloves and no trash bags,” responded a flight attendant with the username “elaxation”.
A second user wrote: “Oranges are fine. Tuna and boiled eggs, not so much.”
A third commented: “I have always welcomed a citrus aroma in-flight. Love it when a fellow crew member peels an orange.”
A fourth wrote: “It is not rude at all! What is weird though, is that people who bring copious amounts of fruits or food, like bananas, feel the need to use two hands and hold a massive amount of trash, and hand it to FA's ONE tiny hand all at once, forcing some to fall on the floor or in the lap of the aisle passenger. I never understood that.”
If you are considering bringing a little snack from home or takeaways onto a plane, be mindful of the following foods that can be messy.
Do not bring ramen noodles
Besides the risk of boiling water and noodle spillage, there is the slurp factor (horrible for the person sitting next to you) and the mess (because ramen is not a neat food to eat).
Do not bring any stinky food
You would think that everyone would know not to bring an egg salad or tuna sandwich on a plane. But we have seen – and smelled – it done. Do not be that person.
Flights are already uncomfortable. You are cramped in a tiny seat, too close to the person next to you, and a baby is crying a few rows up. Flying is uncomfortable, and the last thing anyone wants on top of all that is to smell stinky food.
Do not bring soup
This should be a given. Imagine you are enjoying your hot bowl of soup and the plane takes a sudden dip and spills on you or even the stranger sitting next to you. You do not want that to happen, do you?