Took my mask off on the aeroplane AIBU

[Tsubasa1]

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?

Flu kills more children every year than have been killed by CV19. So does measles, chickenpox, herpes simplex, norovirus AND that's just in the uk

Flu can be kept to yourself by wearing a mask.
Measles and chicken pox are preventable thanks to vaccines, and you can also choose not to send your sick child to nursery or school.
Norovirus - well let's see how the fellow passengers of the OP fare with that...
Herpes simplex - preventable with hygiene and steering clear of personal contact during an outbreak, almost as simple as preventing travel sickness in fact.

And yes - they would all be reduced by good hygiene.
Some can be reduced by good hygiene. Some can be reduced by keeping away from others while experiencing the illness.

Possibly masks - but as with covid this is debatable.
Masks as a means of preventing the spread of covid are only 'debatable' if you're a person who thinks you know better than public health authorities all over the world.

@LesLavandes you think the crew should have taken the sick passenger to the galley?? Where everyone’s food is served from?? Not the best move really!

I’m cabin crew (furloughed at the moment and probably won’t be going back ever). While people are obviously expected to keep masks on while travelling you can’t expect someone being so sick to keep it on. I don’t think I’ve ever met someone who used 20 sick bags on one flight in my 23 years of being crew. Certainly not one who didn’t need medical help on landing. Did the crew not realise how sick you’d been? Where did you get all the sick bags/dispose of them all without them knowing?

Unfortunately if you’re going to take the risk to fly then you’re going to increase your risk of meeting situations like this. It’s the chance you take. (I mean for other passengers)

Sorry to hear that @Honeyroar, that’s pants 😨

Thanks.x

@slipperywhensparticus

She said she gets travel sick once every FIVE YEARS and this was the worst she had ever been shoukd she really take meds for five years for something that doesn't effect her

Yes. Because she was flying alone with small children.

This was a horrible way for her to learn a lesson about planning for the worst possible outcome when traveling with children, but I don't think she learned it.

Come on @Tsubasa1 nobody is going to make someone vomiting wear a mask.
In the between times you should have worn it.
You're very defensive and I think the very least you should do is see it from their/other passengers point of view.
Aircraft obviously have reconditioned air which is recycled and I'm glad I wasn't on the same flight as you (even though you couldn't help being ill).

@slipperywhensparticus

She said she gets travel sick once every FIVE YEARS and this was the worst she had ever been shoukd she really take meds for five years for something that doesn't effect her

exactly

The double think is just mind blowing

On the one hand

'You have CV, you go out and you kill everyone you meet'

and on the other side

'You don't know you haven't got it - Lots of people are asymptomatic'

Should she take travel sickness pills when traveling with small children alone and knowing she experiences it from time to time?

Should she bring her inhaler along when traveling with small children if she gets infrequent asthma attacks?

Yes and yes. Because in the worst case scenario she wouldn't be able to take care of the children.

@IAintentDead

The double think is just mind blowing

On the one hand

'You have CV, you go out and you kill everyone you meet'

and on the other side

'You don't know you haven't got it - Lots of people are asymptomatic'

Where is all of that posted?

And are you seriously arguing with the fact that lots of people are asymptomatic?

Or do you simply not understand that you can have it, be asymptomatic, and pass it on to others who will be severely affected?

God there are some deeply unpleasant people on here at the moment.

Yep, and it seriously worries me that many of these people have, or will have, children and will bring them up to be the same.

I’m facing this issue on the bus, a return of childhood travel sickness once I’m breathing warmed air on a moving bus.

Not flying is easily done, but not using public transport is scary. I don’t want to stay super local for the foreseeable!

Sorry, I’m not convinced by 4 solid hours of vomiting into 20+ paper bags being just travel sickness if you are so totally not prone to travel sickness that this has only happened once in 5 years, Tsubasa1. And they do not inform the entire aeroplane of people if someone on the flight has tested positive for coronavirus, they only tell the people in the seats close to the person who tested positive. That said, there was no point in the crew constantly telling you to put your mask on whilst you were actively vomiting and their behaviour will not have helped the situation, which sounds utterly unpleasant for you - I’m fairly sure you wouldn’t have wanted to get on the flight had you known this would happen (although if you had very compelling reasons to want/need to travel, anything is possible!). Tbh, though, I get the impression you were not actually vomiting solidly for four hours (that is physically impossible), you just knew putting the mask back in would set you off again, so I suspect they thought you were being beligerent and they were, indeed, unempathetic (or at least, more concerned about themselves and the other passengers than you, and maybe felt you should never have got on the flight in the first place, because it’s rare for an adult to get that sick by surprise when they are not actually ill and had no history of severe travel sickness). Was the flight unusually bumpy? And has wearing a mask made you feel nauseous before, or was this the first time you’ve ever worn a mask for more than a few minutes?

Separate note, do people find travel sickness pills work? I always used to think they were a placebo for kids! Tried a few times, I actually find tic tacs more effective (seriously, minty, fresh, sugar perk)

Sounds terrible-, you couldn't help being travel sick and it sounds unexpected and couldn't have been predicted. It must have been awful feeling so ill and having to look after your DC as well, was your OH with you?
I think the air stewards might have shown a bit more compassion in the circumstances.
I have sat on a ferry with people throwing up next to me- not ideal but other passengers need to get a grip and be grateful its not them throwing up.
I don't think vomiting is a symptom of covid people should not have been worried about that.

@Runnerduck34 - actually, vomiting is a symptom of covid in some people.

@BellaintheWychElm - no, not really. Either make the effort to read it or ignore it - it’s hardly that important one way or the other. What was the point of your post?

@Gwenhwyfar

How does eating on planes work now then? And long train journeys? I will be travelling all day next wee - can't go the whole day without food and drink.

My friends moved home from Africa recently after 10 years there. They said there was no social distancing on the 10-hour flight, and every seat was taken. Sure, people had masks on but took them off to eat. They are sensibly doing a voluntary 2-week quarantine and luckily are fine so far.

Sorry you had a horrible journey OP and the air crew were so unreasonable about it. I agree it's impossible to wear a mask when throwing up (of course it is!). I sometimes get travel sick and avoid boats like the plague; if I fly I always take travel sickness pills preventatively.

I am sticking to local rules about wearing masks - I had two back to back hospital appointments today. It was 30 degrees outside and the first building had no air con. I was talking a lot and found I couldn't catch my breath. I took the mask off for a few mins outside between appointments (actually I changed it) but this carried on even when I crossed the road into the blissfully cool new building. Another half an hour and I reckon I'd have been throwing up too. Interestingly my physio, who sees a range of people, has said that even some fit people get very short of breath in a mask.

@mathanxiety u ok hun? Seem to be taking this a bit seriously. How dare a person who get sick every 5 years get a plane? It’s not much fun for OP, the kids or other passengers but not really a dastardly plot is it? Come on.

Was it essential travel OP? If it wasn’t, you are being very unreasonable. The cabin crew are not ‘paranoid’ and any sympathy I had for you, disappeared when you used that word. Stay at home. Do not travel unless essential. Do not put other people at risk.

Stay at home. Do not travel unless essential. Do not put other people at risk.

Bollocks to this.

@KarenKarendson, you have no time for expert public health advice from around the world.

Why is that?