sbm12

More than once I've asked other passengers watching a movie or on a conference call without headphones to address that behavior. It was something that had a material impact on my comfort and that I could reasonably solve with a polite comment.

I believe that far different from policing the boarding line or hand washing in the lavs, though.

Peoriaman1

Sometimes you just have to close your mind to what other people do. Ever been in a restroom at a restaurant? People come out of there all the time without washing their hands. Yes, even at buffet-style restaurants where their very next stop after the commode might be the silverware bin, the stack of plates or the drink dispenser. Or the food!

GadgetFreak

One time I saw a great example of passenger policing. I was in first and we were taxiing on US leaving from STL. A guy in row 1 gets up while we're taxiing and starts walking back towards coach, gets out his cell phone and makes a call. The FAs are yelling at him to return to his seat and he is completely ignoring them pacing back and forth. As he passed me I told him he should light up a cigarette that way he could be breaking all the rules. Okay, I admit this wasn't helpful. Finally another guy in row 1 says something like, if you don't sit your stupid, drunk %#{ down I'm going to beat the }%*^£?€ *%#~ out of you. The guy in the aisle starts and then sits down and puts his phone away. Then the drunk is saying stuff like I like this guy he's got a pair and tells him he's going to buy him a drink when they get airborne. The sober guy says "we're in first class you idiot the drinks are free now shut up and behave". The guy went to nappy time shortly after so no more live in flight entertainment.

GadgetFreak

You've obviously never tried to cut in front of my wife for a New York City taxi.

But yeah, I generally agree with you.

BearX220

I think that's a little different -- a noxious local situation that can usually be solved with a civil, direct remark / request. And nine times out of ten the other guy will comply. That is far different from standing up in the lounge / aisle / etc. and loudly reminding the vicinity of the rules on noise abatement and civility, made up by yours truly, just now.

Of course, the most amazing are those who observe a fellow passenger doing something that gives them fits -- justifiably or not -- whereupon they say nothing, summon no airline person, but scurry straight to FT and complain into the void.

Badenoch

You should do it as many times as you are prepared to be told to perform a sexual act upon yourself by someone who is unimpressed by self-appointed hall monitors.

If behavior is egregious bring it to the attention of the relevant person in authority. Otherwise MYFOB unless you are prepared to enter into a confrontation that may not turn out satisfactorily for you.

Proudelitist

I tend to speak up only when I am directly impacted. If there is a general rule being broken but I am not immediately impacted, I tend to keep it to myself unless it becomes egregious. For example, while I am against non-J/F pax using the J/F lavs, I tend to keep my mouth shut when I see it, unless it's the same person over and over.

However, I will call out line cutters, seat poachers, and so forth when they cut the line in front of me, or poach MY seat.

I tend to run into the line cutting issue on WN flights. The last time was a few months back. I was A29. An old man in front was A27. I saw his pass. A28 was directly infront of me. Saw her pass too.

I knew the guy was A27, so it was all the more amusing when his wife showed up and they made a point of verbally announcing via a pretend conversation that SHE was A27. Knowing what they were up to, I piped up "Well, you can't BOTH be A27..there must be some mistake!" and then offered to "help" them by asking them to show me their BP's. She was A55. I smiled and winked as I mentioned the rule that if you want to board together, you line up with the person who has the highest number. Oh, they were suddenly grumbly after my "help".

Another incident was at KEYW some years ago. Silver Airways computers went down, and they could not fly a single aircraft. The lines were crazy, the terminal was wall to wall people...all of whom were going to miss their connections at MIA, FLL and TPA. The line for the customer service desk was at least a two hour wait. After an hour, when I was 3rd from being next, a young guy just skipped the line entirely and walked to the desk..because obviously his crisis was more important than anyone else's...I called him out with "Does the line not apply to you?" and had the support of the crowd. Even the CS agent, poor thing, smirked at this..although she should have simply told him to get in line with everyone else instead of leaving it up to other customers.

Oh, and after having observed a Y pax open a bin in F and walk back to Y, I simply removed his bags and replaced them with my own. When the FA asked whose bags they were, I told her it was someone in Y. She walked them back.

ft101

No, next time she'll be poaching overhead space in F, then making that call or watching that movie without headphones because she thinks she can.

bocastephen

If a person in front of you allows someone to cut in, there isn't much you can do about it except yell out - which by then is too late and it's just anger buildup that makes you want to lash out at that person. I think we've all been tempted, but it's really not a healthy release of adrenaline to react this way. Best to let it go...on the bright side, she wasn't standing in the FC aisle for 10 minutes figuring out where/how to stow her bags. Now if she tried to cut directly in front of you, then you could say something, or you can just walk right around the offender and keep going....I've done that myself and seen others do the same, which if done by multiple people in sequence, leaves the line cutter basically spinning around until they end up at the end of the line or run into someone too soft or nice.

For the second issue, yes, you should have said something - when I see it, and it seems to be a special feature of lounges in Canada where not only do people use their hands to grab food, but there have been reports of people licking or wiping the serving utensils. If I see it, I say something and I am not at all quiet, delicate or discreet about it. It's absolutely disgusting, selfish and rude to dig through a public platter of food with your hands, washed or not. I've yelled at people quite publicly in the SQ lounge (SFO), UA lounge and the AC lounge over this and I'm not ashamed of it one bit. It's just plain disgusting and it's one of the things I will not let slide.

Other items that should be reported would include self-upgraders, seat thieves, and cases where coach passengers stick their bags in First without permission when F customers have not boarded and the bins are almost full. Pretty much most other things are not worth getting into a huff over.

schmoove

If it isn't illegal or something that will affect the health of people(similar to the washing of the hands thing above) I'll mind my business.

I will say something if you are in my seat but if you have B26 and board at A25 I don't care and won't say anything. I'll consider it a good for you. If you sneak into an empty first class seat and don't get caught...good for you.

I fly SW and almost always fold my bp while in line just to mess with the "line police".

VH-RMD

This...

sonofzeus

I am more concerned about covert "bad" behavior.

What's really in that diaper bag...Hmmmmmm?