How much should airline passengers "self-police" rules that other passengers break?
 

How much should airline passengers 'self-enforce' various rules of boarding, etiquette, etc., when airline staff does not, cannot or will not?

For example:

I was in first class on a recent flight: group 1 for boarding. A bunch of FC passengers lined up at the boarding lane, and one lady then marched over and stood to the side at the front of the line. When boarding began, another FC passenger, very politely, let her go first. When she got to the gate agent, she handed the gate agent a boarding pass for another flight, which held all of us up. After some back-and-forth, the gate agent let a few of us board while she searched for the right boarding pass. So after I boarded, she got on the plane...and walked back to coach. Clearly she broke in line.

Another time, I saw a guy in the airline lounge washroom go from a stall straight to the main part of the lounge, without washing his hands. He went straight for the food, and served himself using his hands--not the large spoons or tongs that are there. I later saw him again in the washroom, exiting a stall (while talking on the phone), and he scurried straight for the exit, again without washing his hands.

At what point does a regular passenger call those people out on their behavior?

Thanks.

So what? Did it change your arrival time at the destination? Did it materially change your flight experience?

When it is going to actually adversely affect your life in a way that you can solve through such interaction.

It doesn't really matter if you approve or disapprove of my behavior unless it has a direct and material impact on your experience. You've described two scenarios here, one of which where that definitely is not the case and another where it is questionable IMO.

In the first: it delayed ALL FC passengers a bit, and if everyone acted like that lady, boarding would be complete chaos.

In the second: you're really saying that going straight from the bathroom to the food counter, and touching food with an unwashed hand, is acceptable? Really?

I don't condone that behavior, but it is only people picking up unwrapped food with their hands and PUTTING IT BACK that could contaminate it. If I thought food had been contaminated, I would tell the staff the tray needed to be removed. But bowls of apples for instance, I often see people pick up, put back, and select another, and there's nothing to be done about that except wash your own apple.

laweekly.com/la-life/miss-manners-with-fangs-2163910

Second example I would definitely have made noise about. That's a potential health risk there. Generally people wo don't wash their hands after using the washroom don't also have the manual dexterity to only touch what they are planning on taking. Additionally, if they change their mind, they don't have the curtesy to not put that food back.

the excuse I don't piss into my hands does not cut it.

The first scenario, I wouldn't worry about it at all, frankly - didn't really impact anything, not a huge deal.

Now if it was something like a passenger smoking in the lav or something serious regarding flight safety, I'd notify the crew or whatever else would be appropriate.

The second...I don't know, you could say something to the guy but I guess the damage was already done depending on what he touched exactly. Probably just avoid whatever he touched and...try not to think about how many people do this who you don't even know about!:D

How late were you to the destination airport? Were you "forced" to place your bag somewhere on board that you wouldn't have been had that not happened? Did you not receive the catering as expected?

Did the 30 seconds of extra standing in the gate area actually have a material impact on you or the journey?

I'm saying that unless it is an employee serving everyone's food and therefore repeatedly touching stuff the odds of it mattering to your health or that of anyone else is pretty much nil. But that's just mostly based on science.

Unless, their actions directly affect me I typically do not say anything.

As for the second:

That which does not kill us makes us stronger - Friedrich Nietzsche

I don't disagree with you, but if law/rule breaking goes unchecked it will get worse until it does adversely affect others. It may not if nipped in the bud at this lower, less serious stage.

I'm definitely a 'rule of law' and 'orderly society' kind of guy, and I find for my own sanity I have to ignore these kind of things to avoid getting constantly worked up.

I love visiting places where people strictly follow rules, like Switzerland, Singapore, Japan and surprise surprise these countries are nicer places than the 'do whatever you want' cultures.

Indeed.

No doubt the woman who realized that cutting in line for aircraft boarding didn't get her in trouble will be off robbing banks or dealing heroin in no time. :rolleyes:

Maybe they need to install this in the lounges?

https://i.pinimg.com/736x/08/a0/6d/0...nny-comics.jpg

Are you sure the second guy wasn't in a stall that had a sink in it? I'm always worried when I come out of one of those that someone will see me and think I didn't wash my hands...

But as for any food put out buffet-style, unfortunately there are gross people everywhere and you have to accept there's a risk it'll be touched by the unsanitary. Plenty of horrifying research out there on what microbes and traces are present at buffets and salad bars. Just try not to think about it. Or don't eat it.

The one and only correct answer. Unless your trip or life are at stake, there is no call for a passenger to appoint him / herself mayor of the check-in desk, lounge, gate area, or cabin in order to correct other passengers' behavior. Stifle the control impulse.