Originally Posted by
djk7
I was on a flight a few years back that was heading into MCO right before Daytona Bike week. I think most of the passengers were heading for the event, and there was a lot drinking going on, and quite a few that looked like they had started well before this flight. Lots of people in the aisles talking with friends and making new ones. One woman who had been talking to a guy a couple of rows up from me grabbed his hand and pulled him to the lav, lots of people noticed, including the FAs. The two female FAs were livid and were banging on the door telling them they had to come out, but they didn't say anything about it being against any law. The male FA was trying to get the other two to calm down, saying there really wasn't anything they could do about it. So it appears this group of FAs did not think there was any law against.
The couple got a rousing standing ovation when the finally came out.
I was on a US airlines' flight a few days back, and a father (or other adult male caregiver) and his preschool child went into the bathroom. The FA was repeatedly banging on the door like crazy to try to get them out, after around three minutes. My guess is the FA doesn't have a lot of recent experience with how young children take time in the bathroom and how difficult it is for a full size adult to move about in a small plane lavatory to help a young child with the bathroom use process. The guy in the bathroom responded that "we'll be out soon" or something like that but it didn't placate the FA. By the time the two passengers came out of the bathroom, the other passengers seemed to realize why it took so long even as the FA said nothing but give them a stern look.
US airlines and their lavatory paranoia.
Originally Posted by
Centurion
The lav door does not really lock is what I find odd. You just flip open the cover.
Just because a door can be rather easily unlocked (from outside) and opened does not mean that the door isn't really locked.
FAs unlocking and opening the lavatory door of a passenger in a state of partial undress may be an invitation to a civil suit against the airline.