The last time I was on an airplane I was seated directly behind an older man who enraptured everyone around him with his exciting tales of flying. One of his tales was that apparently he was on a domestic flight that was around 8 hours long where due to near constant turbulence the “Fasten seatbelt sign” was on the entire time and the flight attendants were actively telling people to not get up to use the airplanes restroom, so for over 8 hours nobody at all used the restroom and by the end of the flight people were literally screaming because they were holding it in so bad.
Now, I know there have been flights where due to the restrooms being broken no-one was allowed to use them, and I also know on some very short flights (less than an hour) the airline has a strict no rest-room policy. However is it really possible for the restrooms to be in perfectly working order and for the flight attendants to actually prevent people from using them even in an emergency for eight straight hours? Seems like that would likely lead to a massive passenger revolt if that happened especially if little kids are screaming their heads off at not being able to use the restroom.
I’ve been on a number of flights where turbulence kept the Fasten Seatbelts sign lit, but some people still used the bathrooms - and it didn’t take 8 hours.
In one case I overheard a flight attendant telling a woman she should return to her seat, to which the response was: “Sorry - no. I promise you wouldn’t like what’ll happen if I do” - said with enough conviction that the flight attendant politely stepped aside.
I’m aware of a few cases where airliners were stuck on a runway for hours at a time, thus forbidding bathroom use. I don’t recall if any of those made it to 8 hours, though.
Years ago, my ex-wife and I and three kids sat on a plane for four hours at the gate in Los Angeles while a problem was attempted to be repaired.They finally deplaned all of us and had to bring in another aircraft. That was a painful four hours.
I notice that flight attendants have become a lot (I mean a lot) more laid-back about the seat belt signs in recent years and pilots have become a lot more negligent in remembering to turn them off. I remember only a few years ago, they turned red in the face shouting at people not to get up. Now they might make a polite announcement if too many people get up.
My suspicion is that there might have been a kernel of an actual event in the old man’s story, and that he embellished it a great deal (to make it a more riveting story) by making the flight a lot longer than it actually was.
I have had instance in which I’ve been stuck in my seat for several hours, sitting on the ground – in those cases, as I remember it, we were waiting for clearance to take off, due to weather at the destination, and the crew didn’t want to find themselves in the position where they had finally been given a window to take off, and were unable to do so, because there were passengers out of their seats, and in the restrooms.
I’ve also had a few terrible, turbulent flights, in which not only was the seatbelt light never turned off, but the turbulence was so bad that getting out of your seat would have been incredibly foolish. But…not anything ever coming anywhere close to eight hours.
I have had this happen as well. Overhead bins opening. Sudden drops and ups. Plane movement violent enough that getting up for anyone, including the attendants, was impossible. Of course, when it was that bumpy, those who needed to use the bathroom probably had it scared right out of them.
Back in 1994 myself and another Deputy were sent for some special training that was given at the resort at Stone Mountain outside of Atlanta. After a week we were flying out of ATL and had been dropped off early so we spent 4 hours drinking at the various airport bars (this was off duty/personal time). When we finally got on board we were 25th in line for take off during a thunder storm. We sat for hours on that runway. The flight attendants were adamant nobody used the restrooms.
They really got fuckerish too. Telling people how they were going to be removed from the plane if they got up. Hmph! Some people think health care is a right. A guy with a full bladder full of overpriced beer says the right to be allowed to take a piss trumps that!
Fortunately, the situation in the United States today is that passengers must be allowed to use a working restroom after a two hour delay. I don’t know if there is any individual right to take legal action if that rule is violated, however. Airlines are covered by an extensive web of laws and international treaties.
This has been my experience also. During active turbulence the flight attendants are in their seats also. But when the pilot keeps the sign on for 20 minutes after the last bump, and the flight attendants are in the aisles, people seem to use the bathrooms without problems.
That is my experience in every flight I have been on both pre and post 9/11. The seat belt sign is on and passengers are still getting up and using the restroom. If it becomes too bad, then there is an announcement something like, “Passengers are reminded to remain in their seats with their safety belts buckled while the Captain has the seat belt sign on. Please return to your seats until the Captain has turned off the seat belt sign.”
I can only remember once when there was a second announcement, something along the lines of, “Passengers are once again reminded to remain seated while the seat belt sign is on. We are passing through a weather system where some possible turbulence may be encountered. You may be seriously injured if you are out of your seats at this time. Federal law requires that you remain seated at this time. Please return to your seats immediately.”
Just had another flight. I was reminded of this topic about how passengers aren’t allowed to use the restroom in the lead-up to take-off, but on both flights up to and including the moment the aircraft was on the runaway about to take off people were freely using the restrooms and nobody said anything.
Hell, I stayed in the bathroom during the entire descent and landing, on a flight to Warsaw once. I’m very prone to motion sickness, and was vomiting nonstop until the plane stopped moving.
Startled a stewardess when I finally stepped out, as she - rightfully - had no idea someone was in there.
I also don’t think there are many storm systems that cause turbulence over that large an area. A storm 2,500-3,000 miles wide? Every plane in the country would have been grounded in such a weather system!
But a storm covering that entire area – western 2/3rds of the USA plus half the Pacific Ocean? And that airlines would still be flying into such a storm? That’s unbelievable!
