VegasGambler

to what end?

I'm surprised that people are defending the FA in this case. The FA knew someone was in there and opened the door? That's crazy.

I also disagree on the lack of intent. This is pretty negligent as far as I can tell. In other words, he didn't intend to open the door when someone was using the toilet, but he intentionally failed to take reasonable (and downright obvious) precautions.

aquamarinesteph

I can certainly understand how embarrassed your wife must have felt. On my last flight (different airline), the door wouldn't shut properly. The light to show occupied didn't come on (confirmed by multiple people). When I went to the bathroom, I kept my foot against the door so that I could feel any potential movement. I was ready to yell that someone was inside.

Thankfully I didn't need to do that.

In your wife's case, I think the airline should have offered an apology, at least to say that they were sorry that your wife experienced this while on board.

AS737

I'm 100% sure that the flight attendant thought he forgot to unlock it after takeoff. I can't tell you how many times I've seen the door show occupied and had to ask myself whether I unlocked it and missed someone slipping in there, or just forgot to unlock it. Also, even if you do reply from inside, it needs to be LOUD as it is VERY hard to hear it with engine noise, conversations, and the airflow in the forward part of the cabin.

I can't speak to the lack of apology, but he definitely thought it was unoccupied.

Paella747

I've opened the bathroom door(s) more than a few times on ajumas (older Korean ladies) using the bathrooms on KE and OZ flights. For some strange reason, they don't want/know how to lock the door when they go in.

Loren Pechtel

Or maybe the ones in back were occupied. I have no problem with the FA using any particular lav, I have a big problem with them simply assuming the door was still locked from takeoff.

nrr

On most of the AA planes I've flown, the toilet is nearly dark (=unlit) until you engage the lock an extra precaution to lock the door. In the case of OPs wife, could the VACANT/OCCUPIED "sign" have been defective?

fotographer

Not to offend the OP wife or him,
things like this happen, on flights to and from India, many times some of the older passengers don't lock the door,
I just say sorry,
I think what you received from the airline is fine.

Fraser

I now feel like I'm owed a few hundred dollars in vouchers.

I think I've had the locked bathroom door opened on me several times across a few airlines. No idea why as there was no particular reason (no real length of time in there, no long line of people, not on descent, etc.). These things happen and some of us move on with our lives, without compensation.

IStream

Clearly unintentional, get over it.

david55

It was a mistake, you got an apology and some money. You make it sound as if the FA opened the door and invited everyone to look in on your wife on the toilet. A while ago there was thread about the most ridiculous things to complain about to an airline....this fits right in.

BA707

So the outcome you seek is for this chap to be fired? It doesn't sound there was any ill intent, especially given he was opening the door for a child to use the toilet.
It was an accident, you got some credit, time to move on.

Eastbay1K

You're asserting that the FA was negligent, yet intentional. He may have even been grossly negligent in failing to take reasonable precautions. But intentional?

What I'd surmise most of us are defending re: the FA is that he made a mistake and he shouldn't turn into Hester Prynne (or worse, unemployed) over it. IM(nsh)O, a FA who neglects me in the F cabina for an hour has committed a much more grave high crime than one who is trying to deal with a little girl who is about to wet her pants.

nearlysober

I'm sure this was the case.

As others have mentioned, anyone can lock/unlock the door from outside the bathroom. It's a pretty commonly known 'secret' if you watch the FAs doing their ascent/descent tasks. Just flip up the little sign and slide a lever. Its for security reasons I suspect. Really when you "lock" the door, you're just turning on the occupied sign.

Anyway, I imagine this FA was pre-occupied with his tasks and didn't notice another FA had opened the lavatory. Heck, maybe he even did it and forgot. Fast forward a few minutes and he assumes its still locked from the ascent.

Could he have waited longer for a response? Sure - but remember his mindset is probably that its locked from ascent and he needs to unlock it like he does several times a day, every day, while it is empty.
I think they usually knock out of routine anytime before unlocking it, but he probably wasn't expecting anyone.

Yeah it sucks and I'm sure your wife was embarrassed. He was probably extremely embarrassed.
He's not a sexual predator. He's not getting off on this. Everybody poops. Laugh it off.

arles

Regarding the comments about the light only coming on when the door is locked, I am certain that this is the intent. However, this is not the case in practice. The lights often come on when the lock is closed about 50-75%. The sensors must get worn out over time. So maybe she thought the door was fully locked because the light came on and the FA did not see the sign saying it was occupied. I know that sometimes the sign is halfway and can indicate that someone is inside and didn't fully lock it, or that someone didn't fully unlock the door before leaving.

VegasGambler

Negligence is intentional (it had to be, otherwise there would be no crime of negligence. You can't accidentally commit a criminal act. Mens rea, and all).

It's a different kind of intent though. If you are throwing a loaded gun up into the air for fun, and it goes off and shoots me, you didn't intentionally shoot me. But, you intentionally threw a loaded gun up into the air, which is grossly negligent. That's different from a situation where an accident happens through no fault of your own.

This is obviously much less severe of a situation, but the concept is the same. The FA obviously (hopefully) didn't intentionally open the door while someone was on the toilet, but he did intentionally open it without talking proper precautions to check first. That's a different situation than one where he trips, falls, and somehow knocks the door open.

If you're not sure if someone is in there... knock. wait a few seconds, and knock again. Say "is anyone in there?". If no reply.. "I'm opening the door". And then open it.. just a crack at first. I think that those works be reasonable precautions to take. Total time.. maybe 20 or 30 seconds? Not doing something like that is negligent, IMO.