Originally Posted by Classzed
Some of you might be a bit more understanding of a "rush trip" to the lav if you suffered from a condition called overactive bladder.
I once flew with my mother (who suffers with this condition -- is even on medication for it) when we were delayed at the gate for over 30 minutes and then were in a long line-up for take-off. By the time we finally got in the air and leveled off, she almost didn't make it to the washroom. She was nearly in tears from the pain that she had to endure.
Not all situations are what they might appear so, next time you see someone rushing to the lav, please have a little compassion and think about what THAT person might be going through.
Best thing to do is probably pull the purser or lead FA aside when boarding to advise of the situation if one thinks it may be a problem. It's just like someone who has a bad stomach bug and has to make rush trips to the lav.
At many airports its probably not an issue as taxi times are short and there are no lines for deparure. Its airports like ORD, ATL, & EWR that are congested. An aircraft could get in the departure queue and be #30 for departure. Once a pax gets up, the a/c cannot taxi and in some cases may have to lose its departure spot in line.
In other cases where there is flow control, you may be in the penalty box waiting release for EWR or ORD. Passenger gets up, aircraft cannot proceed. If the plane can't get airborne, it then loses its release and could sometimes have a lengthy wait for another release time, by then most connections have been missed upon arrival at the hub disrupting the schedule of most pax.
I'll say it's a catch-22.