Originally Posted by
trooper
Some people are clearly equating all coughing with a (temporary? infectious?) illness. Chronic coughing is however OFTEN caused by other factors.. (such as postnasal drip, gastroesophageal reflux disease, asthma and so on) Are you suggesting people with such chronic coughs should NEVER be allowed to fly? What have "manners" got to do with involuntary actions such as coughing?
The issue is noise just as much as it is the potential to spread illness. Unlike a heartbeat, coughing can be (mostly) voluntarily controlled.
Dismissing the concerns here under the false claim that coughing is "involuntary" is ridiculous. I can think of other bodily functions that are equally
voluntary, but would elicit far stronger objections.
No one said these folks can never fly. They should, however, consider others and take cough suppressants with them.