Parents slammed for disgusting behaviour on flight that endangers others – as cabin crew warn it’s very common

A passenger was furious after a recent flight when a couple were changing their baby’s diaper at their tray table in front of her on the plane.

Most people would agree that it’s common courtesy for parents to use the restroom to clean up after their kids have made a mess, so to speak.

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However, not all follow the etiquette and some make the smells available to everyone else on board the plane.

That’s exactly what happened on a flight not long ago, leaving at least one woman on the plane completely disgusted.

To check if others thought the couple’s behavior was unacceptable, she shared her story on Reddit and asked if she was right.

She wrote: “I was on the plane for several hours today, sitting behind a couple with a baby.

“What shook me was that the couple changed their baby’s extremely smelly No. 2 diaper in the middle of their seats, using the mother’s food tray as a changing table.

“We were in the rear of the plane right next to the lavatories which I confirmed had changing tables when I had to return there to vomit after noticing the smell.”

The woman initially remained silent, but eventually had to ask the couple to use the toilets when they wanted to change their child’s diaper a second time.

She continued, “The first time I didn’t say anything, but the second time I asked if they could please go to the airplane toilet instead of exposing everyone on the plane to the smell.”

“The mum jumped on me and said I had no idea how stressful it was to travel with a toddler and that’s true – I don’t have any kids.”

However, the flight attendants and the pilot agreed with the woman, as the cabin crew asked the parents to use the toilet and the pilot announced this over the plane’s public address system.

Other Reddit users also agreed that parents should have used the facilities provided rather than improvising with the tray tables.

One wrote: “There are changing tables in the bathrooms. That’s what they’re there for.”

Another said: “Basic rules for changing babies: don’t do it where people are eating or where people are in close proximity. If you have a choice, always use the changing tables.”

A third added: “Yes, flights are stressful for parents and their children, but that’s no excuse for being reckless and downright gross.”

Experts also warn that changing diapers in public places can even pose a risk of illness to other people, especially if parents don’t wash their hands after the contact.

dr Ketan Shah, a gastroenterologist from California, narrated commemorative care that “there are normally millions of bacteria living on our hands and the number of bacteria doubles after going to the toilet” even if you don’t wash your hands after changing your diaper.

dr Anjali Vora, an infectious diseases doctor, added: “Bacteria and viruses from our hands can easily spread to surfaces around our home and in some cases stay there for hours, in other cases they can lead to potentially serious infections.”

Worryingly, flight attendants have previously noted that this behavior is not uncommon — and to make matters worse, tray tables are not always cleaned between flights.

One wrote on Reddit, “I can’t even remember the number of times I’ve seen babies swaddle on it, puke on it, people bleed on it…”

“They should be cleaned every night, but I wouldn’t put food directly on them. No no no!”

Another said: “If you’re flying short-haul, be sure to bring antibacterial wipes or sanitizer.”

Meanwhile, this flight attendant revealed a drink you should never order on a flight.

Another explained what clothes to never wear on board an airplane and why.

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