Some plane snacks are more controversial than others, and it turns out oranges are on that list, because some people believe you shouldn’t be peeling them while you’re on a flight
Plane food isn’t always appetising, and sometimes you might bring your own – but there are some snacks that are more frowned upon to eat on a flight than others.
Unless you’re flying business class, are flying a long-haul flight or want to pay extortionate plane prices, many people bring their own food to snack on. Whether that be a bag of crisps, some sweets, or a sandwich, it’s totally up to you what you bring.
But that doesn’t mean others won’t judge you for what you are munching away on, right next to them. You might want to consider less-pungent foods to eat, to avoid getting glaring looks from the person next to you, but there’s one snack that has really divided opinions – and it might surprise you.
One person took to Reddit to ask the question: “Out of curiosity, is it rude to peel oranges on a flight?” – and it’s started a huge debate they probably weren’t expecting. In another thread on the forum website, they also added that they “love” the smell of citrus.
And it turns out the topic has really divided opinions. Some people were firmly on their side, with one person writing: “I’ve always welcomed a citrus aroma in-flight. Love it when a fellow crewmember peels an orange.” Another added: “Absolutely! I’m always thrilled when someone peels a citrus on one of my flights.”
A third wrote: “I would love to smell fresh oranges on a flight, so many worse smells I have been forced to endure.”
However, it seems not everyone is on the same page. One person said it would be fine if you “peel it before getting on the plane”, and someone else agreed, adding: “Peel it ahead of time. Accidentally squirting juice on someone is incredibly rude.”
A third warned: “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.” A fourth wrote: “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.”
For others, it seemed like the mess of the peel would be more of an issue than the smell itself. They wrote: “Just don’t hand me your mess of peelings while I’m walking down the aisle doing my compliance checks with no gloves and no trash bags.”
While there aren’t any rules about eating fruit onboard a plane, a dietician and frequent flier claimed it’s a big no-no to bring messy fruits on a flight.
Writing in Vane Airport Mag, Abby Langer said: “Oranges on airplanes are a disaster unless they’re the little clementines. The juice from cut fruit like pineapple can leak all over your carry-on and sticky everything in sight. Anything you need to use a napkin to tame isn’t your friend on the flight.”
Do you think it’s okay to peel an orange on a plane? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.
