When it comes to travelling by air, there are certain etiquette rules passengers are encouraged to follow to ensure everyone has a peaceful flight – but this doesn’t always go to plan
A man who ate an orange on a plane has sparked a debate about the food etiquette rules you should follow when 40,000 feet up. In a Reddit post, the passenger simply asked: “Out of curiosity, is it rude to peel oranges on a flight?” However, he was not at all expecting such a varied response – with some users claiming it’s ‘rude’ while others believe it’s ‘perfectly acceptable’.
According to the Transportation Security Administration, you can take solid food items onto a plane in your carry-on providing it’s no larger than 3.4oz (96 grams). A statement reads: “TSA officers may instruct travellers to separate items from carry-on bags such as foods, powders, and any materials that can clutter bags and obstruct clear images on the X-ray machine.
“Travellers are encouraged to organize their carry-on bags and keep them uncluttered to ease the screening process and keep the lines moving.” For carry-on luggage, passengers are entitled to bring on cheese, cooked meat, seafood and vegetables, creamy dips and spreads, providing they’re less than or equal to 3.4 oz (100ml), fresh eggs, pet food, pizza, and tamales, among other foods.
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But while passengers can bring oranges onto a plane, many claim they shouldn’t as it could cause a mess and unwanted smells onboard. One Reddit user commented: “Peel it ahead of time. Accidentally squirting juice on someone is incredibly rude.”
Another user added: “Peel it in advance. Easier to eat on the plane. Last flight I took someone had an entire bag of mandarin oranges. Not sure if he ate them on the plane, but he ate about five while waiting to board. It wouldn’t personally bother me, but my coworker would likely be livid.
“Her family member is allergic to oranges and she’s mad when daycare feeds them to her kid or when students eat them in her room. Apparently, the smell lingers and sets off a reaction if the person is around even hours later. But it’s also not possible to prepare for every possible allergic reaction a stranger may have.”
A third user said: “I would be annoyed. But also understand why you’d want to eat some. Pre-peel the oranges and bring like that in a bag.” However, others claim there’s nothing wrong with eating the citrus fruit when travelling in the air, with one saying: “I’ve always welcomed a citrus aroma in-flight. I love it when a fellow crewmember peels an orange.”
One more user added: “To be fair, there is nothing you can do that will not offend someone.” A final user said: “Personally, I hate oranges. I hate the smell, I hate the taste, and I hate orange juice. But they’re healthy and people seem to like them so I wouldn’t mind.”
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