[Topspinmo]

Originally Posted by Gulfcoast

In all fairness, we have no idea when this man last ate.

So people can’t go hour with sticking something in there mouth. It’s called eating disorder.

[Bill14564]

Originally Posted by Topspinmo

So people can’t go hour with sticking something in there mouth. It’s called eating disorder.

.. or a medical condition.

According to both sides (as reported in the one article) the eating wasn't the problem. The problem was a miscommunication, following the rules by the passenger, an overreaction by the flight attendant, or likely some of all three.

[JMintzer]

Originally Posted by Stu from NYC

Assuming the passengers is telling us the truth why would they not ask him to please put mask on between bites before kicking him off the plane ?

Because flight attendants are freaking out in a daily basis...

This isn't the first time something like this has happened.

Recently a family was kicked off a flight because their (just over) 2 yo threw a tantrum about wearing a mask...

If you are "under two" you don't have to wear one. I'm sure the few months made all the difference in the world...

[JMintzer]

Originally Posted by Gulfcoast

SW is saying that they apprise their passengers of the mask wearing policy before they board the plane. Maybe that means that the passengers receive something in writing at check in, maybe there are signs posted about masking between bites.

This mask between bites thing started in February and it's possible that SW has instructed their attendants to call security rather than try to enforce the rule themselves.

SW is probably worried about getting shut down if they don't enforce the policy, yet, they are concerned about placing their attendants into potentially contentious situations with passengers. It's sort of a no win situation all around.

I just flew SW last Wednesday, an no one said a word about putting your mask back on between bites or sips of a drink. I kept my mask off while I ate my Chex Mix and drank my Diet Coke (so did others on the plane) and no one said a word... I had no idea about the new guidelines

Apparently, it's in the fine print you get with your booking documents...

You know, the stuff no one ever reads?

[JMintzer]

Originally Posted by Topspinmo

So people can’t go hour with sticking something in there mouth. It’s called eating disorder.

What about a cross country flight? Or a flight to Europe/Asia?

I swear, the judgmental attitudes I see on this Forum are astounding...

[golfing eagles]

Originally Posted by JMintzer

Because flight attendants are freaking out in a daily basis...

This isn't the first time something like this has happened.

Recently a family was kicked off a flight because their (just over) 2 yo threw a tantrum about wearing a mask...

If you are "under two" you don't have to wear one. I'm sure the few months made all the difference in the world...

Unfortunately, this pandemic is not yet over, and wearing a mask indoors in close proximity to others still makes sense. I flew on SW about a month ago and there is no difficulty putting a mask back on between bites. However, the part that doesn't make sense was filling 175 out 0f 175 seats with a stranger's face 2 1/2 feet away, which violates the still in effect 6 foot indoor guidelines from the CDC, but then enforcing the bite to bite masking.

[JMintzer]

Originally Posted by golfing eagles

Unfortunately, this pandemic is not yet over, and wearing a mask indoors in close proximity to others still makes sense. I flew on SW about a month ago and there is no difficulty putting a mask back on between bites. However, the part that doesn't make sense was filling 175 out 0f 175 seats with a stranger's face 2 1/2 feet away, which violates the still in effect 6 foot indoor guidelines from the CDC, but then enforcing the bite to bite masking.

Then going back to filling the middle seats made no sense, either...

The entire terminal requires "social distancing", but once you' board the plane? Packed in like sardines...

[Gulfcoast]

Originally Posted by JMintzer

I just flew SW last Wednesday, an no one said a word about putting your mask back on between bites or sips of a drink. I kept my mask off while I ate my Chex Mix and drank my Diet Coke (so did others on the plane) and no one said a word... I had no idea about the new guidelines

Apparently, it's in the fine print you get with your booking documents...

You know, the stuff no one ever reads?

Yep, there is no great way to enforce an idiotic rule like this. Probably best to just "not notice" when a passenger dares to take three bites in a row w/o masking.

I am so ready for this nonsense to end, lol.

[Gulfcoast]

Originally Posted by JMintzer

Because flight attendants are freaking out in a daily basis...

This isn't the first time something like this has happened.

Recently a family was kicked off a flight because their (just over) 2 yo threw a tantrum about wearing a mask...

If you are "under two" you don't have to wear one. I'm sure the few months made all the difference in the world...

What?? Did they card the kid? How did they know the child was over 2?

If the flight attendants are expected to enforce idiotic rules, you can't blame them for doing their jobs. Blame the idiots who made the idiotic rules.

[chet2020]

Sounds like multiple layers of miscommunication and over-reaction. At least the guy was eating Twizzlers. Pre-pandemic, a guy seated behind me opened a can of tuna 5 minutes into a 2-hour flight and made the plane smell like a fish processing plant. I didn't need to say anything, several passengers got on the guy's case within seconds. Turns out, the guy was on a keto diet. I didn't get that mad, because I knew I'd have a story to tell, like I'm doing now.

[eyc234]

Pleeeeeese, is there really a meal on any commercial flight worth getting upset about not being able to eat!!!!!! If you have a medical condition take food with you (Brother is a major diabetic, flies multi flights a week and takes his own food just in case). You probably should not be eating an airline meal anyway.

[Kelevision]

This is so silly. I’ve flown several times for work. They serve you food, the seat next to you blocked. Nobody had to tell me to put my mask up in between bites or drinks. My common sense was all i needed to know that was what to do. I also doubt this is true, first, they kicked him off when? Mid flight? Because that’s when the food is served. Did he bring his own food and start eating before take off?

[golfing eagles]

Originally Posted by Kelevision

This is so silly. I’ve flown several times for work. They serve you food, the seat next to you blocked. Nobody had to tell me to put my mask up in between bites or drinks. My common sense was all i needed to know that was what to do. I also doubt this is true, first, they kicked him off when? Mid flight? Because that’s when the food is served. Did he bring his own food and start eating before take off?

I doubt you read the OP correctly. It was prior to take-off, and he brought his own box of twizzlers. Also it was Southwest Airlines; they haven't blocked the middle seats since early March, the flights are packed like cattle cars.

So the airline had every right to remove him for not complying with their rules. However, I think this in between bites masking policy is pretty stupid. Show me a medical study that shows this has any value. Then, since you are in a sardine can with your mouth 2- 2 1/2 feet from the next mouth, do you have to synchronize your bite with your neighbor so no two masks are down at the same time? Particularly hard if you are in the middle seat and have 2 neighbors to synchronize with. In addition, you spend 1 hour plus in a terminal where you better stay 6 feet away from everyone else, until.....you board a plane (translation: airlines make $$$ off packing a plane, terminals do not). Just wait for the chaos when the airlines require proof of vaccination.

[westernrider75]

I routinely fly Southwest between Pittsburgh and Orlando and they constantly announce the mask policy, almost an absurd amount of announcements

[Bhighley]

Well, the passengers back up his story, maybe read the whole story again and pay attention this time. He was put on another flight suggesting he wasn’t banned for life and facing a lengthy prison sentence for nonconforming, so it sounds like the flight attendant may have just been a grumpy old woman.