We are quick to complain about airlines, but tonight I pity United Airlines for having to deal with a dynamic duo of dimwittedness on the ground and in the air.
Let’s start on the ground. United offers beautiful Polaris Lounges at five hubs across the United States. These lounges serve up comfortable seating, top-shelf liquor, and a la carte dining…and tonight, bare feet on the chair.
Flyertalk user everetl snapped the picture above at the Houston (IAH) Polaris Lounge earlier today. He was very polite not to include the passenger’s face, because I would have walked right up to him and taken his picture (before telling him to put his socks and shoes back on). I guess that explains the discolored chairs…
Seriously, even if he had just emerged from the lounge’s lovely shower suite, this isn’t his living room…his actions are tawdry and a social faux pas.
And then there’s the man who decided to shave his head…on the plane…in his business class seat. Yes, United’s new Polaris Business Class now comes with an added amenity: hair.
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The man is seen shaving as flight attendants prepare for pre-arrival breakfast service by offering hot towels.
Oh, good morning sir. I’m sorry that our onboard salon is closed. Perhaps you can wait till we reach the ground to shave or at least use the lavatory?
(That’s what I’d say as a FA…not sure what the FAs actually said, if anything at all…)
Maybe he thought the mirror in the Polaris Suite was an invitation to shave?
CONCLUSION
I’m just amazed by how clueless people can be. Barefoot in a lounge restaurant? Shaving in your business class seat? What’s next? Bringing your peacock onboard? Oh wait…
This might be my favorite post you’ve ever written for live and lets fly. That was just beautiful! I’m sorry, I don’t think you intended this, but it was really funny, and great. I’ll answer your question: whats next? A passenger finds the toilet seat dirty, so just goes right in the water cup he got for his drink, and then passes it to the flight attendant when collecting trash.
I blame the parents.
Sorry to disagree.
I agree that socks should be considered mandatory. I could understand somebody removing their shoes either in the lounge or seated onboard.
If resting one’s feet, though in a pair of clean socks, on a chair in the public is acceptable to you, you ought to take Social Etiquette 101.
I’m not sure its at the same level, but public nail cutting also bothers me (the times I’ve seen it, they’ve just been letting the nail clippings fall to the floor).
It may be cultural but I actually feel more disgusted when people put their feet up onto chairs and tables with their shoes on.Afterall, they walk on these shoes which have all aoets of dirts/shxt.
People are morons. ‘Nuff said.
Disagree on certain aspects of this. travellers are that… travellers. They are exhausted and hey, they are tired and need to relax their body from the stress of travel, so taking off shoes between a flight is actually healthy for a persons body. That is why the lounge is there. To relax. If a lounge doesn’t like it, put up a sign. But most lounges, the Traveller, especially for business have a paid membership to these lounges for the amount they travel. It is a recipricol relationship and a person should be able to relax for what is being paid for. They don’t need judgemental people playing social police and taking inappropriate pictures without their permission. If they don’t agree, they can act like an adult and talk to management to have the person stop versus being passive aggressive and thinking they are holier than thou attitude with a middle school mentality
You’re not wrong, per se. And I can certainly see removing one’s shoes whilst relaxing AND I can see removing one’s shoes and socks to briefly address issues with foot pain, swelling, etc. This isn’t that. This is placing one’s bare feet directly on a public surface.
At the very least, if you have a compelling reason to air your feet publicly, at least take the time to put a towel down on the surface or something. I know for a FACT that if he’d just asked in a Polaris Lounge, he’d have a towel provided.
Yes, but I don’t agree that people should be playing social vigilantes and taking pictures of the person. I guess the individual was fine with taking off the shoes. If other people don’t like it, they can bring it up to management. The person did not do anything illegal.
Go to South Asia, not wearing socks, only wearing sandals, is the norm, whether in an airport lounge or really anywhere. Western folks have a stick up their ass about bare feet
I don’t know about South Asia, but in South-East Asia showing the soles of your feet is seen as very very rude and impolite. In Japan, it’s considered quite rude to put your feet on public furniture too. You’ll often see parents scolding little children for trying to stand on train seats for instance. So no, this isn’t a Western only thing.
Disgusting. I would have made sure his face was clearly visible and plastered him all over social media.
To be fair to the head shaver, that razor collects the hair in the cartridge to be rinsed out and cleaned later. It doesn’t send tiny clippings all over the seat.
Maybe a bit weird and a faux pas, but not outright rude or unthoughtful towards the FAs, cabin cleaning crew, or the next person to sit in the seat.
Yup, it’s a Philips Norelco, I have a similar one. Doesn’t excuse the behavior but at least it’s not like dropping toenail clippings everywhere
Why are people so disgusting? Urgh.
Filthy creature should be banned for life. Unfortunately it’s not uncommon: I saw an entire family doing it in a Thai Lounge the other night; mother and 2 teens/20s, all with bare feet
Interesting. If this happened in a Thai lounge in Thailand that’s not only rude but deeply offensive and culturally insensitive. Showing the bare soles of your feet in Thailand is a cultural taboo.
Flying from Costa Rica back to the U.S. in First, an American couple and their two teenage daughters were seated behind me. In the middle of the flight, I was overcome by noxious fumes, along with others nearby. Turns out the girls thought this was a good time to apply a fresh coat of polish. I sternly told them that this was unacceptable, after which the Mom chimes in, “You guys should know better…”
Yeah, *SHOULD*! But she didn’t hold them accountable until someone complained.
Almost as outrageous as the Mom who saw nothing wrong with allowing her 10 year old daughter sleep sideways in First with her bare feet pressed up against the window shade!
Bottom line: People are idiots.
Clueless and self absorbed…
No amount of money can buy class.
PLEASE ADD AN EMAIL SUBSCRIPTION OPTION LIKE EVERY OTHER BOARDING AREA BLOG.
Maybe he was wearing flipflops? Should he put his flipflops on the chair? Your co-blogger Kyle finds flipflops to be acceptable travel attire.
Never overestimate the intelligence (or common sense) of the average citizen these days.