I don’t know about you but the only thing I hate more than a really turbulent flight when I fly is a rude passenger. The other day, there was a woman in my row who wouldn’t stop coughing and she wasn’t covering her mouth! I was in the aisle seat and she was in the window seat, so we had a person in between us, and I didn’t know what to do—so I posted this question on my Facebook page:
There’s a woman on my flight that won’t stop coughing and she’s not covering her mouth! Should I:
A. Give her dirty looks.
B. Ask her politely to cover up.
C. Put a mask on.
D. Hand her a mask.
E. Kick her ass?
F. _____________ (Write your own.)
Let me know what you think in the comments section of this page. I’ll give the funniest answer a free in-flight Gogo session!
Hand her a cough drop…always have cough drops when you travel too!
Easy enough for me = pull the switch for the flight attendant and request a change of seat. It beats a most likely risk catching a cold or whatever the woman has. No seats available – always carry a mask in the future like you see the polite Japanese and Chinese wear when they have a cold. It may help. I learned my lesson on a jamed packed train when a guy was sneezing and coughing directly behind me. I moved to another train car a little too late and caught his cruddy cold 3-days later. In the next car was an Asian woman wearing a face mask. Bingo, the light bulb went off in my head = carry a mask when traveling by train, bus or plane.
F. Sniff some black pepper and sneeze all over the rude gal!!
I’d slip her a Mickey. I’m sure the sleep will do her good!
(Please everyone, know that I’m saying this in good fun. Don’t call the cops or respond by telling me how horrible I am!)
ask the steward to provide her with hot water and lemon, and a cough drop, and to provide you with headphones and eye mask so you can relax ;-)
F. Let her know that you sympathize with her condition as you often don’t have the time to cover up either. Going for as much spray as possible sneeze in her direction. If that doesn’t work pretend to bring up as much phlegm loudly as you can.
Say nothing unless she is coughing on you except to offer her a cough drop or tissue. I sympathize. On an international flight the woman across the aisle (I was in the other aisle seat) had several coughing fits. It was easy to see that she was miserable. I said nothing other than to offer her my ink pen when we all had to fill out the customs form (she was filling out the form for her family). After she used it and offered to return it I told her to keep it and wished her well.
Thankfully I did not get ill on my vacation. But we face the same risks whenever going out in public.
Only say something when they are Coughing on you?? .. Well, the Germs fly ! … that it the issue. We can and should assist them with tissues/masks … in my opinion ! No excuse for this by anyone ! I would want someone to tell me or offer me a mask/tissues/candy to soothe my throat to help !
Anyone that rude has the manners of a jackass. I WOULD DEFINITELY TELL HER TO COVER HER FACE AND LET THE CHIPS FALL WHERE THEY MAY.
Are you sure she “couldn’t stop”? How do you know? My suggestion would be looking at your
laptop screen, and pretend to read to the person in the middle that, “did you see / hear that the
TSA has put out a warning (alert) to its agents AND to airline flight crews that they should be alert for and on the look out for any people who appeared to be coughing (all the time) or frequently, as recent studies have shown a high relationship between “continuous coughers” on planes and terrorists.
The other choice might be to ask the flight attendant for a large glass of water and when you get it, throw it in her face. She’ll stop coughing, I’ll bet.
I’d give her one A, and then B, and then bury my head in my pillow. E would feel good but only get me arrested.
How horrible ! I had a man behind me in June flying home from FRA to EWR … he kept hacking and didn’t bother to cover his mouth. Everyone around kept looking at him. Finally I stood up and handed him some wipes and a mask ( I carry a few ) and gave it to him. I said “Sir you really need to wear this. You seem to be under the weather and we all really want you to have your mouth covered when you are coughing / hacking ! ” He looked at me and about 4 others said Yes.. please do! I was already wearing my mask and pulled it down to speak to him. He did and tore it off as soon as the plane landed ! And I also gave one to a guy in the airport who was coughing with covering his mouth kinda sorta — after his cough ! I think it should be mandatory to wear covering over your mouth while in airports and on planes ! Some people really just don’t get it !
Why don’t you step out to cough?
Offer her a mint (peppermint works really well, sometimes). It may have been one of those tickle in the throat coughs that can be helped. PLUS, she’s on notice it’s annoying and rude.