AIBU for eating nuts next to someone with an allergy on a plane?

[PrincessJoann]

Had a bizarre situation today. I was flying from Hawaii to Florida. The stewards were walking around giving out mixed nuts.

The woman seated next to me said to the flight attendants that she didn’t want any because she is allergic to nuts and that there should’ve been a note in their system regarding not serving her nuts.

The attendant said in the survey she’d filled out for the airline regarding injury she had not indicated that it was an airborne allergy and only checked that she couldn’t ingest nuts. She stated they still shouldn’t have served them and she shouldn’t need to be that specific.

The attendants asked her if we needed to make an emergency landing or if she required medical attention. She said no.

The woman asked me if I could not eat the mixed nuts. Everyone around us had an open plastic cup of mixed nuts. I told her I wasn’t sure how my eating them or not would help her in this situation. She said it was just a courtesy.

I told her (truthfully) I hadn’t eaten at all yet and needed to have something in my stomach to take a medication. I asked her if I could go to the back of the plane to eat the nuts then come back. She sort of rolled her eyes but said this was fine.

When I came back she was complaining to the flight attendants about me and asking to be moved, specifically using the term “that asshole.”

I feel badly that I didn’t handle the situation better. AIBU?

I don't think anybody with a life threatening or none life threatening allergy or disability would deem themselves as "special?"

The lady didn’t put she had an airborne allergy because she doesn’t. That doesn’t mean she doesn’t have a contact allergy which her seatmate eating nuts massively increases the chance of her touching nuts..

why are people saying she filled in the form wrong when she likely didn’t?

If you offered to go to the back of the plane and eat them and she was rude then she is at fault. Especially as other people had started eating them. It's either airborne or it's not. She's just a moody bad traveller. Ignore if you can. Met loads of them. Seems like there's a few more on here too judging by the answers you've received...b i t c h y....

So that's merely virtue signalling as wouldn't make a shred of difference

Well yes, exaggerating the risk of allergy related fatalities is hyperbole and thus thread is full of it.

In this specific case there would have been no nuts on the plane at all if the passenger with the allergy had correctly completed the form she was given. Perhaps she should have taken more responsibility for her own health before being rude about another passenger.

I have no opinion either way on a complete nut ban, it's seems that airlines can easily accommodate passengers with allergies but they are not mind readers.

Why is everything that's just being a decent human always dismissed as "virtue signalling" or "woke" these days?!
I'd rather be a so called virtue signaller than an arsehole.

Or an arsehole signaller? 😁

You're making out the alternative is a hardship.

Someone asks me not to eat nuts next to them then I won't. They probably just don't like the smell but I don't mind. There's biscuits and I'm only eating so I can take my medication, I'm not wedded to nuts.

I can't imagine in this situation having a strong enough opinion about personal entitlement that it would override anyone's expressed opinions on nuts. It really doesn't matter why she doesn't want me to eat them

Horrible person - do you usually go round wishing death on people who maybe made a mistake (might have been the airline) or are you just feeling particularly nasty today?

YANBU.

The other passenger hadn't taken responsibility for letting the airline know the specific details of her allergy. You needed to take medication and not on an empty stomach. The flight attendant could have offered you an alternative snack. It's not your responsibility when the passenger next to you doesn't do her due diligence.

The OP is not allergic at all.

Considering that my BIL is a lifelong immunologist and allergy specialst in the US, who often discusses the latest medical findings, I believe my understanding is more than adequate. He gets exasperated with excessive demands and people who exaggerate their conditions, too.

No need to feel badly. She should. She was offered an emergency landing. If her life were really in danger she would have said yes to that. She was being needlessly difficult and an asshole to you specifically. She just needed an emotional punching bag and you were in conveniently sitting next to her, making you the easiest target.

Sorry you were treated like this.

If I was sitting next to someone on a plane who said they were allergic to nuts and would I mind not eating them, of course I would do as they asked. Maybe it's over cautious but completely understandable. I'm sure there are other options for snacks.

I was on a flight last year where someone had a nut allergy. There was an announcement made before we took off that said no nuts would be served and asking people not to eat any that they may have brought with them. Seems like the airline didn’t know about her allergy for some reason. At least you moved I guess, she could have been nicer about it.

Sounds like your BIL is in the wrong job, and I feel sorry for anyone with allergies unfortunate to come across him.

Im not making out anything of the sort actually. I'm merely pointing out that if the whole plane has been served nuts then ONE passenger staying ' oh I won't eat the because allergy etc" but knowing it won't make the slightest bit of difference as everyone else is happily munching away isn't achieving anything for the allergy sufferer. More making themselves feel virtuous

On a flight in the UK sitting next to a young man, I can't remember how it came out as we were chatting - maybe I offered him some nuts as that's what I had for a snack - but he told me he had an allergy. He also said that there had been an announcement about it. I hadn't heard it, maybe because we were down at the back or I wasn't paying attention. Anyway, I didn't bring out the nuts, obviously. That would be nuts!

Well no you said I was virtue signalling, which is kind of insulting but whatever, if it makes you more comfortable go for it, there's always biscuits

Go for what?

Accommodating a simple request is being virtuous how exactly?

Some people just don't see a minor inconvenience as a big thing. Your reaction would be understandable if they then asked you not to eat anything, but one request, easily fulfilled, holy shit polish up my already shining armour.

No problem with accomodating a simple request In fact the OP went to the back of the plane to eat the nuts so why people are calling her names I don't know. She made the effort but the allergic person was still at risk from every one else munching on the plane, yet was the OP getting abuse

The OP behaved courteously to a stranger (someone who had failed to fill in necessary paperwork correctly) whilst taking care of her own medical needs. According to some of the above responses one must deny oneself a gin-&-tonic because the stranger in the next seat is a recovered alcoholic who might plunge into a disastrous bender at the sight of someone downing a glass. The stranger's rude entitlement is on a par with their negligence.

Exactly, the word "snacky" makes me cringe as well! Even my dcs have never ever said this. 😂

Love this. You have summed it up brilliantly.

The OP went to the effort of going to the back of the plane so that she didn't have to comply with the simple request. So biscuits even achieve what she wants quicker