# Is rawdogging it bad for you? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 1, 2024, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-rawdogging-it-bad-for-you/1006579 "2024-09-01T20:11:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2024, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-rawdogging-it-bad-for-you/1006579/41 "2024-09-22T15:36:41Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > for a passenger jet, which has a much higher population density, it’s reportedly on the order of 15-20 air changes per hour. This is correct. Some larger planes it’s as much as 40, though small planes are much lower, like, 2-3. Some of this data is public and provided in the FAA’s guidance document on hand held fire extinguishers, AC20-42D. Scroll to the very last pages of the pdf for the values published for several models of aircraft. The listing isn’t complete, so I suppose you’d have to ask the OEM if you needed the numbers for a plane that isn’t listed. I usually just do the math without taking air exchange into account and just get a more conservative assessment though. > **[AC 20-42D - Hand Fire Extinguishers for Use in Aircraft](https://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/advisory_circulars/index.cfm/go/document.information/documentID/888491)** > > The Federal Aviation Administration is an operating mode of the U.S. Department of Transportation. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2024, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-rawdogging-it-bad-for-you/1006579/42 "2024-09-22T16:00:04Z")
The air is far stuffier and slower to turnover in a packed convention hall or big corporate cube farm than it is on an airplane. Movie theaters are a sorta special case because the high ceiling means there are a lot of cubic feet of air per square foot of floorspace. But if most / all of the air exchange is taking place up near the ceiling, there’s still not good turnover of the air down where the people are. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2024, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-rawdogging-it-bad-for-you/1006579/43 "2024-09-23T14:00:31Z")
I don’t go to a lot of movie theaters, but last time i did, there was a big air vent a few feet from us. I felt good about the air circulation there. The problem with airplane air isn’t that it’s “stuffy” (too much CO2) but that it’s thin and extremely dry. That’s why i like to wear a mask. And hey, now i don’t have to explain to an anxious seatmate that I’m not carrying ebola or something. I used to be careful not to wear it in the aisle, either, so as not to scare people. But now i just leave it on except when I’m eating or drinking, and I’m comfortable. I tend to breath through my mouth, so I’m more sensitive to overly dry air than people who can get a good breath through their nose, which has a lot of twists and turns to moisturize air before it hits the lungs. But my guess is a lot of people would find air travel more comfortable with a light surgical mask or similar. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2024, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-rawdogging-it-bad-for-you/1006579/44 "2024-09-23T19:03:04Z")
In one John D. MacDonald novel, Travis McGee “rawdogs” on a longish flight (the term “rawdogging” is of course not used). He just sits and thinks about the problem he’s working on, to the distress of a flight attendant who notes he’s not sleeping or reading and tries unsuccessfully to offer him magazines, drinks etc., finally deciding he’s a potential problem passenger who needs to be watched carefully. On any flight of over an hour I’ll want to get up and walk or do leg exercises to lower DVT risk. ---
**Author:** ![chela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chela/32/21582_2.png) [@chela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chela)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2024, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-rawdogging-it-bad-for-you/1006579/45 "2024-10-18T00:48:24Z")
I pretty much zone out on planes. I studiously ignore my surroundings and relax my body. I’ll pull a sleep mask over my eyes and focus on my breath. That’s for the take off. Otherwise I’ll read or play inflight games. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2024, 9:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-rawdogging-it-bad-for-you/1006579/46 "2024-10-18T09:49:26Z")
Is just sitting for several hours without external stimulation really a problem for most adults? Sure, I’m as prone to messing with my phone as anyone, and I like to read, but I don’t _need_ those things. I can just sit there and: - Play music in my head - Imagine walking around my neighborhood, or a nature trail, etc. - Imagine something fantastic like launching into space - Do math problems - Brainstorm project ideas - Iterate through various designs for said projects - Give lectures on some subject - Have an argument with myself about something controversial - Think about the Roman Empire - Etc. I dunno. I don’t really do 10 hours flights but I can certainly just sit in a quiet room and think about stuff indefinitely. I’m not zoning out, though it might look that way. ---
**Author:** ![Mijin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mijin/32/9369_2.png) [@Mijin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mijin)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2024, 10:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-rawdogging-it-bad-for-you/1006579/47 "2024-10-18T10:05:20Z")
> [@Dr.Strangelove](#): > > Is just sitting for several hours without external stimulation really a problem for most adults? Sure, I’m as prone to messing with my phone as anyone, and I like to read, but I don’t _need_ those things. I can just sit there and: Yes. I think most adults are used to having constant stimulation at this point and get fidgety without it. I’m old enough to remember a time where you’d often find yourself bored. Waiting to see the dentist and don’t want to read Golf Monthly? Well, just zone out while staring at the wall. We could argue that it was good and therapeutic, but I remember hating those times. I was used to it though. And speaking of therapy, and this might be a bit of a hijack, but if I don’t have anything specific engaging my mind then my thoughts go negative. Self-hate and regret. It’s great that your mind goes to such constructive places. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2024, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-rawdogging-it-bad-for-you/1006579/48 "2024-10-18T12:45:36Z")
> [@Mijin](#): > > if I don’t have anything specific engaging my mind then my thoughts go negative. Self-hate and regret. This happens to me if I wake in the night. My response now is to recognize it, tell my brain to cut that shit out, and change the subject. Naturally, I still have the hate and regret, but I’m just choosing not to talk about it right then. Repress! Repress! What could go wrong? 🤪 ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2024, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-rawdogging-it-bad-for-you/1006579/49 "2024-10-18T12:56:15Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > What? What else did you think I was asking about? Some people will eat raw hot dogs. I thought “rawdogging” referred to that practice and the question was whether or not it was bad for your health! LOL ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2024, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-rawdogging-it-bad-for-you/1006579/50 "2024-10-18T13:21:39Z")
It should be noted, of course, that in all likelihood no one has ever “rawdogged” a long flight. They just say they do. > [@Mijin](#): > > I’m old enough to remember a time where you’d often find yourself bored. Waiting to see the dentist and don’t want to read Golf Monthly? Well, just zone out while staring at the wall. Sitting around bored for a bit is good for you, but even a mature adult is not going to deliberately do something like that for, say, six hours. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2024, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-rawdogging-it-bad-for-you/1006579/51 "2024-10-18T14:46:53Z")
> [@Mijin](#): > > I’m old enough to remember a time where you’d often find yourself bored. Waiting to see the dentist and don’t want to read Golf Monthly? Well, just zone out while staring at the wall. > We could argue that it was good and therapeutic, but I remember hating those times. Yeah. I carried pebbles to fidget with, as well as a book. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2024, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-rawdogging-it-bad-for-you/1006579/52 "2024-10-18T20:53:04Z")
> [@Mijin](#): > > And speaking of therapy, and this might be a bit of a hijack, but if I don’t have anything specific engaging my mind then my thoughts go negative. Self-hate and regret. Out of curiosity, are you the type that will turn on a TV in a quiet room “just to have some background noise”? I find that some fairly large fraction of people do this and I wonder if it’s to drown out their internal monologue–maybe because they go negative, like yours. ---
**Author:** ![Mijin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mijin/32/9369_2.png) [@Mijin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mijin)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2024, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-rawdogging-it-bad-for-you/1006579/53 "2024-10-18T23:57:08Z")
Yes indeed. Although in my case it’s podcasts. ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2024, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-rawdogging-it-bad-for-you/1006579/54 "2024-10-21T16:58:35Z")
> [@Mijin](#): > > Waiting to see the dentist and don’t want to read Golf Monthly? I would have read the Golf Monthly anyway. > [@Mijin](#): > > And speaking of therapy, and this might be a bit of a hijack, but if I don’t have anything specific engaging my mind then my thoughts go negative. Self-hate and regret. And there are other types of negative thoughts - I mostly get anxious about whether I did or didn’t do something or whether that appointment I think is Tuesday is really Wednesday but there’s also a bit of trying to sort out some 45 year old memories and regret that I didn’t stay in touch with the people in those memories and regret that I didn’t try to look some of them up in time. Which I can handle if it’s for 15 minutes while I have electrolysis done - but there is no way I would subject myself to it for even one hour unless I had no options. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2024, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-rawdogging-it-bad-for-you/1006579/55 "2024-10-27T14:58:08Z")
Oh to hell with that. I’m tall with long legs. While absurdly expensive, my wife and I now fly first class. Not done too many of them, but it’s a huge difference. The stretch seats help me, but you can’t always get them. For short hops, like 2 hours, we do economy. Much more than that I just can’t take. Oddly, the first class food is pretty good so far. > [@zimaane](#): > > Sitting for long periods (like 8 - 10 hours) comes with a small but real risk of developing blood clots, which can be life threatening Preach it. My wife has had blood clots in her calves. It’s not fun. > [@Loach](#): > > There is a reason why I always get the aisle seat. I’m up going to the bathroom frequently and don’t want to bother anyone. My wife gets the opposite aisle seat. Me too. There is another reason for us. I’m tall, my wife short. I can get up and get the carryon bags down much easier than she. I also can help others with their bags. Helps get things moving. On long flights, I just read. But I do need my space. Our next flight. Is Denver to Iceland. After 27 years of marriage, people fall into certain rolls. My Wife does all the travel arrangements. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2024, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-rawdogging-it-bad-for-you/1006579/56 "2024-10-28T00:42:47Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > It should be noted, of course, that in all likelihood no one has ever “rawdogged” a long flight. I do but only because the media available is so limited. If the seats were large enough that I could play full-scale games on my full-sized laptop, _or_ the Internet were so cheap and easy to connect to that I could surf the web just like I was at a bus stop, then that would be another story, but I’m not going to fuss around with connecting to the plane’s wi-fi for half an hour hour just to pay $30 to keep myself entertained for a few hours, and the in-flight entertainment is only occasionally worth diverting myself for, often either being not what I’m interested in or entirely lacking. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-rawdogging-it-bad-for-you/1006579.md?page=2)