Took my mask off on the aeroplane AIBU

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I was on a 5-hour flight recently alone with my two kids under 3. I once every few years might suffer from travel sickness and unfortunately on this day it was the worst I've ever had. I believe it may have been caused by having to wear the mask on the aeroplane. I used 20+ sickbags and felt better during the last hour (vomited for 4 hours, 5th hour was better).
I felt really bad but after I started vomiting I couldn't physically put my mask on because I couldn't breath and it made me gag. The air stewards were furiously coming and telling me to put my mask on every 5-10 mins. I had tears in my eyes during all of this and to be honest I can't comprehend how little compassion they had. They kept coming until I firmly said I would be putting my mask on when I felt better. I was keeping my distance from everyone and had no one sitting in front of me, behind or next to me (apart from my children). I didn't have a fever and it had I had been checked before boarding the plane. AIBU to think there was no reason to harrass me while I was throwing up with my face in a bag? Are you scared of people who don't wear masks? Would you go up to someone ill and tell them to put their mask on?

From the cabin crew perspective they are following guidelines.
They are strict on all breaking of guidelines on planes.
Despite what some people might think Cabin Crew are primarily there for safety above everything else.
Maybe they could have been kinder but they were following what they've been told. Everyone who flies now knows that masks are compulsory.
Everyone is new to the compulsary mask wearing so not every one will know how it affects them until they wear one for a sustained period, so the OP couldn't help how she felt.

Before these new flying conditions were brought in, anyone not able to comply with cabin rules would need special prior permission for special allowances or requests such as allergies, medical bags/equipment not usually permitted in the cabin. Usually it's all dealt with prior to even getting to the airport through the airline and medical letters/certificates etc should be carried on the pax as evidence on the day. I imagine some airlines may introduce or already have introduced something like this regarding those unable to wear masks. I'm.not sure. It could be some say a straight No, you can't fly no matter what even . Not sure.

Obviously face coverings are a whole new board game but rules are rules and problems arise when people see someone else so say permitted to do something they've been told isn't allowed, which is why I imagine the Cabin Crew may have been so abrupt and strict. Bare in mind flight reports need to be written and sometimes certain onboard incidents submitted to the country of arrival too. There could be entry problems in some places if certain incidents occur on-board.

The compulsory wearing of mask is new to most places in the world at a time when the world is trying to adjust to life in a pandemic. Some will be more chilled than others and vice versa.

I really hope you have a better return journey OP. Would.it be worth getting some anti sickness tablets perhaps or if you are travelling with another adult, perhaps a sedative to knock you out?

I honestly hope the OP doesn't come back to this thread. Some of the posters on here have been absolutely vile!

It seems some posters aren't used to having to take travel sickness pills or medication for flying. It's standard that you take it before every flight because you never know when you'll need it. And it isn't worth the risk of being ill on a flight or being incapacitated when you land. Plus it is horrible for other passengers if you're ill.

Irresponsible to be flying knowing you have travel sickness especially through a pandemic, even if it were 5 years ago, you know you suffer from it. Yet another selfish individual, with lots of others to make excuses and justify your selfish actions. I would have been furious had I been on your flight.

@mathanxiety it must be hard keeping that halo of yours polished up

Yanbu and you have my sympathy. Travel sickness is horrible and unpredictable but once it starts it often doesn't stop until you can stop moving. Poor you.
Were you at the back of the plane by any chance? It makes me feel much worse and I know always look for seats neat the front/wing area.

A thread about masks is not complete until Hooves has commented!

I don't know OP, you aren't unreasonable for finding it a bit ridiculous that they are asking you to put your mask on when you're being sick, but similarly, it's pretty grim during a pandemic, and they attempted some sort of damage control for the other passengers. Maybe err on the side of caution and take tabs before flying though.

If she had a compelling reason to travel she should state it

nope
it's none of your business

and wouldn't change the amount of vomiting anyway.

Oh sorry, have I missed the expressions of concern and sympathy for the fellow passengers who got exposed to whatever was aerosolised throughout the cabin twenty times?

Since when was travel sickness contagious?

Yet another selfish individual, with lots of others to make excuses and justify your selfish actions. I would have been furious had I been on your flight.

but you being on the flight would only have made you selfish for flying in the middle of a pandemic...

I swear some people will only be happy when they can actually staple a mask to people's faces.

Come on now @TheFirstRuleOfAIBUClub, you know better than that.....some people won’t be happy even if they could staple a mask to everyone’s faces! They’ll find some other reason to scream....‘it’s a PANDEMIC don’t you know and it’s AIRBOURNE [sic]’ 😱

@KarenKarendson

There was one condition she knew she had, one that is preventable, one that is guaranteed to cause distress to small children.

Yet she decided for some reason not to do her utmost to prevent it.

You can imagine she did her best, but she was basically incapacitated for four hours.

If you can imagine she did her best, with the implication that that was good enough, then I can also imagine that her children had some basic needs that she actually couldn't attend to during the four hours of extreme nausea.

I can also posit that if she had become seriously dehydrated or had passed out, she would have been no use to them whatsoever.

Since when was travel sickness contagious?

Actually, it is! There are countless cases proving that 1 person vomiting tends to start a chain reaction.

But in the case of travel sickness, the OP was unlucky, certainly not malicious or selfish.

A thread about masks is not complete until Hooves has commented!
Funnily enough I was thinking the same about the posters attacking Hooves. It's very obvious and tedious. The only difference is that the posters who support the wearing of masks don't indulge in prolonged personal attacks against the posters who pop up on every thread with their list of reasons why masks can't possibly be worn.
As I've said before, bullying and targeting posters doesn't change opinions. It doesn't bring people to your side and shouting about how compassionate you are whilst bullying posters who disagree with you, is an 'odd' strategy.

@Teateaandmoretea

Yes, I agree with the vast majority of experts that masks are very important in preventing the spread of covid 19.

I wear one when I am out because I care about the health and welfare of others. I don't make plans for unnecessary travel or shop for unnecessary items.

I expect others to take expert-advised precautions too.

Again, resorting to ad hominems is a sign that someone has run out of valid arguments.

But in the case of travel sickness, the OP was unlucky, certainly not malicious or selfish.

@SantaClaritaDiet, no, getting travel sickness is not 'unlucky'.

It's a sign that you failed to take proper precautions against something you knew was likely to happen.

For those who say OP should have travelled without sickness pills because she's only been sick one or twice in 5 years...

..seriously? Frequency is the issue here? so if someone who has only had an asthma attack once in 5 years travels without their pump, thats fine too?

As for this stuff..

I get sick on ferries. I can't take travel sickness tablets at all, their mechanism of action (they work on dopamine receptors) is not compatiable with my neurological condition.

Seriously? All travel sickness pills aren't compatible? An earlier poster completely refuted that.

I am planning to travel as I am legally entitled to do and I'm not planning to barf through a fucking mask

Ooh, you're entitled! However aren't others entitled not to travel with someone who refuses to look at ways to travel with medication that works for their conditions?

OP I am so sorry, what a horrendous experience, a little bit of kindness from the cabin crew would have gone a long way and you got the exact opposite.

The cabin crew are there to protect everyone. They have instructions. It's not all about you.

That does sound utterly horrendous and must have been horrid. I’m amazed the crew were happy to let you vomit that much while holding the baby. Sod social distancing, I’d have offered to hold the baby for you. I haven’t ever been sick on a plane but I once had a horrendous ferry crossing where I just kept vomming and vomming. I can’t imagine doing that with a baby.

@mathanxiety

But in the case of travel sickness, the OP was unlucky, certainly not malicious or selfish.

@SantaClaritaDiet, no, getting travel sickness is not 'unlucky'.

It's a sign that you failed to take proper precautions against something you knew was likely to happen.

yep - this!!

For those saying they would take travel sickness tablets in case did to having to look after small children: when I take the ones that are completely reliable on vomiting, I go to sleep. I have done this on a train, in sole charge of a 5yo. That was the last time I took the tablet whilst travel with just DS. I am more use conscious and vomiting than unable to stay awake.

And I get much sicker on day 1 of my period than at any other time, so I can see how that manifests as occasional travel sickness for other people.

@Kenworthington "Oh god this is such a fear of mine to get stuck in an enclosed space with someone vomiting was I’m massively emetophobic 🤢 id have been so stressed I’d have prob cried."

Me too 😣 it would have ruined my whole holiday as I'd have been so worried about getting unwell during. Sounds dramatic but emetophobia will do that to you! It's my worst fear.

I don't know when OP travelled, and hope s/he is ok now.

Honestly the exceptionalism of some people who have a propensity to this and that, without thinking of others never fails to amaze me.

Many others have no issues but want to be careful WRT to fellow pax.

But onwards and upwards.

@GinDaddyRedux I'm not going to give you details of my private medical history but if I say I can't take anything then I can't, I understand my own condition better than a bunch of randoms online.
You also have no idea of why I may or may not need to travel.
So wind your neck in.

Actually the only tablets that ever worked for me are the drowsy ones, so I wouldn't take them if I'd not had issues in a while... especially not in charge of DC!

I suffered loads until my early 20s, not actually been travel sick in 15 years, so I wouldn't actually take a drowsy tablet on the off chance!

I have to agree with Math on the unlucky aspect, unlucky would be getting travel sick for the first time ever, despite having flown many times before, on an airplane in the middle of a pandemic. However if you’ve had it before, you know the nature of it is that it’s unpredictable and especially at this time that you should take extra precautions.

I don’t think it makes OP a terrible mum or a horrible person generally but she was BU and I feel for the poor staff having to deal with that as well as all the other restrictions they have to cope with.