jphripjah

I’m on a UA flight now and FA announced that it’s forbidden to take your mask all the way off the eat or drink, you can only lower it and that failure to comply means $ 35,000 fine and your on a no fly list.

Is “no removing masks to eat and drink, you can only lower them ” an FAA rule? I’ve never heard that before.

lincolnjkc

I think it's an exasperated FA... For the masks I own (including a United-issued mask [which is actually one of my most comfortable]) "lowering" the mask isn't really possible/practical with the way the mask is constructed/the geometry of my face. Though I've also never taken the mask all the way off -- I usually let it hang by one ear whilst I'm either taking a drink or shoveling food into my noise hole. I've also seen an emotionally violent reaction when a F passenger was told that they had to reinstall their mask when had it draped over the armrest and they weren't actively eating or drinking...

threecap

131 segments this year and counting and that's the strongest language I've heard from a FA. I have heard a couple of other FA's pre-warn the plane over the PA that if they think they can just bring tons of food onboard to keep their mask off the whole time, that will not be acceptable. But never that you'll be fined if you take off your mask instead of lower it.

emcampbe

FAs are the ones who are the front line and dealing with mask violations. Mask mandate is an executive order (I think), but UA policy was to mandate mask except when eating or drinking even prior to that...not much longer after it became pretty well established that masking prevents spread.

I have never heard or seen anything like this (only lowering...not taken off), however, UAs policy (at least now...not sure if it was always worded this way) is that masks must be worn unless actively eating and drinking, and when you check in, you have already agreed to that, specifically even to have your mask on 'between sips and bites'. Sips and bites is exact wording....because I remember being surprised to be reading that specifically when I started flying a bit again in the fall. I suspect this FA was probably extrapolating from that, since its presumably easier to try and enforce this way. I have never heard or seen anything about taking off vs. lowering. I also have not really seen enforcement of the 'between sips and bites' part, though I'll admit only to being on a handful of flights, and every FA is going to be a bit different, and I suspect many are not following that part so strictly.

Kacee

No it's not a rule. The TSA Reg says you do not have to wear a mask while eating or drinking but must replace it between bites and sips.

I've got around 100 segments on various carriers this year and that's the most ridiculously aggressive interpretation I've heard of by far. There's simply no excuse for FAs playing petty tyrant.

A Little Cow

For what its worth, I think it is highly unlikely that those that take their mask off entirely are following the "replacing it between bites"-type rule or putting it on while chewing rule. It seems very unlikely there are many who take it off, take a bite, put it back on, chew, swallow, repeat. That sort of procedure is much more realistic with the mask lower and raise procedure. But I'm usually a naughty cow who will remove my mask completely, shove roughly half the food down my throat quickly, replace mask, digest a bit, and then do the same with the other half of the meal... Bad form I know...

Repooc17

I am even more "naughty" I'd remove the mask completely for the entire meal, for every one of my 122 flights this year. I just don't like the constant mask on mask off movements. No FAs have ever said a thing to me. I am also a fast eater, 5 minutes or less, usually.

AndyPatterson

https://www.rawstory.com/man-forced-...-as-face-mask/

Of course this happened in Floriduh... a flight from FLL to DCA (?) Passenger claimed he had previously worn women's thong underwear as a face mask on other flights.

He compared himself to Rosa Parks (no kidding) -- https://www.independent.co.uk/news/w...-b1977576.html

He plans to fly on Spirit Airways instead, which he hopes/believes will be more accommodating than UA. Good luck with that one!

TomMM

Hopefully it was a clean pair.

goalie

You had me at “Florida Man”

Mike Jacoubowsky

Wonder if the FA was trying to be pro-active, smoking out trouble-makers ahead of time? How did things go on the flight? Was it as draconian as the message indicated?

It can't be much fun being an FA right now, and thinking about the latest & greatest mutation and that you're the mutation's
primary means of spreading from one geographical area to another. And for domestic flights, there is no pre-selection that would reduce the likelihood of a passenger having Covid or not.

jphripjah

I didn't see any suspected troublemakers and the flight went fine and there were no enforcement issues.

Mike Jacoubowsky

If the announcement was at the beginning of the flight, not the meal, then maybe it worked! :-)

Unitedloyalflyer

He has been banned for life
https://www.thedailybeast.com/adam-j...a=twitter_page

gmt4

No doubt a prize from whatever club he was at the night before.