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?

I agree the compassion goes both ways. The crew and other passengers have the right to be safe too.

If you know you get travel sick don’t use public transport or take medication beforehand.

I’m amazed anyone actually wants to travel for non essential journeys on a place currently even with masks without things like this happening.

Yanbu. Poor thing.

If I was vulnerable I wouldn’t personally get on a flight right now, masks may reduce the risk but they do not remove it.

You can’t guarantee safety I’m afraid.

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.

Agree with ChristmasFluff that there must be some kind of protocol for the crew to follow if someone is taken ill, particularly during a pandemic where there is an additional onus to protect other passengers from infection.

You can argue until the cows come home as to whether the OP should have travelled (we don't know why she did), but the fact is that that plane took off on the assumption that passengers would be travelling in it. That means allowing for the possibility that someone might be taken ill mid-air. That means training.

@TinySleepThief

She could have taken medication to prevent it.

What part of she didn't know she was going to be sick did you not understand? Why must everyone be so flaming mean.

She didn't intentionally not take medication so she could spend 5 hours on a flight with 2 small children being horrendously sick no one would do that for shits and giggles. She clearly would have taken anti sick medication if she thought for any second she was going to be sick.

You don't have to know with absolute certainty that you're going to be travel sick in order to take medication.

Surely, being aware that you are travelling during a global pandemic, with a virus that is airborne, a requirement to wear facemasks and the knowledge that you are sometimes travel sick would mean you showing some compassion and consideration to your fellow travellers by taking some medication in order to reduce the chance of this happening?

Thanks @PablosHoney
On aeroplanes @Gwenhwyfar two people are seated on each row of three seats. One is allowed to eat and drink and then the other. They decide who goes first and take turns.

They were probably more concerned at you being so sick to get through 20 bags.

@Kenworthington Same here.. I suffer appalling emetophobia, I’d have had to move..
It makes me so annoyed that people with travel sickness don’t use meds, which are very effective these days.
Vomiting 20 times sounds more like a bing to me, something like Norovirus.
I loathe public transport for this reason.

@Tsubasa1 come on what was the airline? While o agree that everyone on the flight should feel safe there’s loads of better ways that they could have dealt with this. Telling someone throwing up to put on a mask is ridiculous.

@ChristmasFluff

The lack of compassion and common sense on this thread is astounding.

Vomiting generates aerosols anyway, so not much point in OP wearing a mask in between as breathing generates far less aerosols. The damage had been done.

Let's imagine it's the worst case scenario. OP was infected with COVID-19 that became symptomatic on the flight, causing vomiting multiple times per hour. Cabin crew could have found somewhere to try to isolate her, and recognised that she wasn't able to put on a mask between spews. Maybe moved people away from the likelihood of splashes and droplets. Surely there is a procedure to enact if someone becomes ill on a plane? And surely the assumption should be it is COVID until proved otherwise?

As it was, what did the cabin crew achieve with their attitude, except upsetting OP at a time when she was clearly under extreme stress already? Did it stop the potential infection of themselves or others? Did it make her more able to wear her mask? No. So they could just as easily have had some compassion.

As could the majority on this thread.

That was why I said she was wrong to not take medication. Not really to do with wearing a mask or not but that her vomiting produced an aerosol which would have spread throughout the cabin - 20 times. If she does have it so does everyone else now.

@Helpplease222 Turkish Airlines

I have sympathy for you OP, but if you get travel sick, even only sometimes, you should take travel sickness tablets. My mum does this as once in a blue moon she will get sick in the car etc. In between throwing up, wearing a mask wouldn't do much tbh though. Also as a nurse, you would have to change the mask frequently throughout the flight for proper protection anyway.

Honestly, if you get that sick you ought not to be flying really. Pretty horrible for everyone around you. Obviously there’s nothing you could do in this case and I can see why you didn’t want the mask on but it sounds like you just need to not be flying really.

No on my flight had Covid, if they did I would have been contacted @Hearhoovesthinkzebras .

Your mum takes travel sickness pills every time she gets in a car because once in a blue moon she gets travel sickness?

@Tsubasa1

No on my flight had Covid, if they did I would have been contacted *@Hearhoovesthinkzebras* .

That makes no sense. Did you get tested before boarding?

And clearly people have no idea how travel sickness medication works . You take it before you feel sick not during and if it had been a long time since she was ill how would she know .

Am I the only one who wants to know what you did with15 sick bags

@Hearhoovesthinkzebras Sorry bad wording. Everyone on my flight filled in an extensive form upon landing. If anyone on the flight gets ill during their stay here they will be tested and everyone on the flight will be informed.

I have been travel sick on a plane a few times over the years generally associated with a migraine that accelerated fast but it was a random combination of circumstances and unpredictable. It's mortifying!

I find your continuous vomiting for 4 hours and using 20 bags ref a bit puzzling as that sounds beyond the norm - wasn't your stomach empty at some point! That sounds awful. The stewards were understandably concerned about the airborne element of no mask but could have treated you with more compassion.

The fact you were puking pretty much the whole flight, it was pointless putting your mask on. If you had a bug that would be whipped round the plane 40 times over....

@islockdownoveryet

And clearly people have no idea how travel sickness medication works . You take it before you feel sick not during and if it had been a long time since she was ill how would she know .

Yes, you take it before you board, leaving the appropriate amount of time for it to work.

If you think there's a chance you could be sick, particularly during a pandemic, why wouldn't you?

[quote Tsubasa1]@Hearhoovesthinkzebras Sorry bad wording. Everyone on my flight filled in an extensive form upon landing. If anyone on the flight gets ill during their stay here they will be tested and everyone on the flight will be informed.[/quote]
Right. But that doesn't remove the possibility that if you had it you would have spread it throughout the aircraft. But late discovering it afterwards. Of course, anyone could be asymptomatic and never realise they have got it but still be spreading it.