Passenger in Middle Seat Repeatedly Using Bathroom on Flight Draggedâ'Rude'

Anne Thompson

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A passenger who used the bathroom four times on a three-hour flight has been dragged online. In a post on Reddit's popular r/AmITheA****** forum, user u/Salt-Explanation1365 took to the internet to ask if they were in the wrong for using the bathroom frequently on a flight. The Redditor explained: "Recently I flew home for the holidays. The flight was three hours long. I read that you dehydrate twice as fast on a plane as you do elsewhere, so I packed two 40 ounce water bottles and planned to drink both of them over the course of the flight (should note I'm a pretty big person and an athlete)."

Airplane bathroom — A file photo of passengers sitting on a plane, left, and a close-up of an engaged airplane bathroom, right. Konev Timur/Farknot_Architect/Getty Images

Choosing the budget-friendly middle seat, the passenger explained that they had to get up to use the bathroom four times during the course of the short-haul flight—something which started to upset fellow passengers. "Each time [I got up], the person sitting on the aisle got progressively annoyed," they said. "She was sleeping and I woke her up each time. She would sigh, groan, roll her eyes, etc. whenever I got up. When I used the bathroom for the third time, she asked me if I could try to hold it for the remainder of the flight so she could sleep. I didn't take her request too seriously and continued to drink water." The issue escalated when the passenger asked to get out to use the bathroom for a fourth time and the woman became furious. "She told me I was rude for not following her request. I told her it was either that, dehydrate, or wet myself and going to the bathroom seemed like the best option," said the poster. "She told me no one needs to drink enough to pee four times in less than three hours unless they have a bladder issue. She then asked me if I had a bladder issue and I said no, not that that's your business. I asked if she wanted to switch seats so I didn't have to climb over her, but she refused." Eventually, the pair were forced to call over the flight attendant who sided with the Redditor, but when they arrived home their family wasn't so sure. "Some said I did nothing wrong, and that I have the right to drink water and I'm not breaking rules, but others said it was discourteous to drink that much water during a flight and that I should be able to hold it, especially if the person on the aisle is sleeping. So I'm wondering if the people of Reddit think I'm the a****** or not?" said the poster. Frequent flyer, clinical hypnotherapist and wellness coach Geraldine Joaquim told Newsweek: "The controlled atmosphere on a plane has less humidity that we're used to in our every day lives. Additionally, you can also add in some stress impact to feeling dehydrated when traveling—because flying can be stressful." The U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine determined that an adequate daily fluid intake is 3.7 liters (125 ounces) a day for men and 2.7 liters (91 ounces) for women. But on an airplane you are likely to dehydrate faster. The Aerospace Medical Association (AsMA) explains that the humidity range on a plane is around 20 percent, compared to a usual air humidity of around 45 percent. "There is no specific risk to your health, but low humidity can cause mild discomfort," says the AsMA. As such, they recommend drinking around 8 ounces of water each hour while flying and even trying a nasal hydration spray.

How To Stay Hydrated on an Airplane

If you're looking to keep your hydration levels in top condition on your next flight, seasoned flyer Joaquim had a few tips.

1. Avoid alcohol "Not popular, I know," Joaquim explained. "But alcohol is a diuretic, it makes you want to wee more so causes dehydration. It does this by inhibiting the production of vasopressin, your antidiuretic hormone, which is responsible for the regulation of water excretion." 2. Hydrate in advance "It's a good idea to hydrate in advance, with plenty of time to visit the loo before you step on the plane," said Joaquim. "Once on board, drink little and often, think of hydration as a slow and constant activity rather than guzzling gallons of water, take a sip every 20 minutes or so—if you feel the need to drink, you're probably a little dehydrated." 3. 'Eat' your water Drinking water isn't the only way to get fluids into your body. Joaquim advises: "Choose wet foods like apples, cucumber, watermelon—although that might not be practical or considered socially acceptable in a tight plane seat—or soups." 4. Combine eating and drinking "If you're drinking plain water eat something with it," said Joaquim. "Water can flush straight through the digestive system, especially when consumed in large quantities on an empty stomach. In order to feel the benefits of hydration, you want to ensure your body is absorbing it effectively and you're not overwhelming your kidneys either."

The Redditor shared that they drank around 80 ounces (2.27 liters) of water on the flight—an amount that others felt was unreasonable. "Three hours on a plane isn't going to dehydrate you enough to harm you," said one reply. "If you plan on doing this on your next flight, pay for the aisle seat or get ready to have another p***** off seat mate." Adam Stevens, founder of Intelligent Eating, told Newsweek: "Flight time dependent, but for the average person they should be making sure they are comfortable—not sat in coats, sweaters, and not glugging back water. The best option is to pace oneself." He explained: "It's the theater analogy, ever been to the movies and drank all your drink and ate all your popcorn before the actual movie starts? It's the same. If it's in ones environment it'll get consumed. Be purposeful and act with intent. This translates as one 40oz bottle of water being plenty for up to a six hour flight with the caveat that the person is well hydrated prior to boarding." "Hydration is not about guzzling lots of water and peeing it out," agreed Joaquim. "As mentioned, you want to support your body in absorbing that liquid to really feel its benefits. So, pace your drinking, and include foods or other drinks that will help with absorption." A commenter on the Reddit post said that the passenger should have planned better to avoid upsetting fellow travelers. "Once or twice, sure. But four times in three hours is ridiculous. You should have booked an aisle seat if you planned on drinking an insane amount of water during the short flight," they wrote. Some replies even warned of the risk of water intoxication in drinking as much as the poster described. "Not only was OP not dehydrated, he was approaching the danger zone for water intoxication," said one reply. Water intoxication, also known as water poisoning or water toxemia, can be fatal and occurs when the normal balance of electrolytes in the body is pushed outside of safe limits because of excessive water intake. Symptoms of water toxicity include head pain, cramping, vomiting and drowsiness and tend to start after the consumption of more than 3-4 liters (105-140 ounces) of water in a few hours. "80 ounces of water for 3 hours? Seriously?" said another shocked commenter. "You're sitting in a seat not running on a treadmill. I award you no points and may God have mercy on your soul." Newsweek reached out to u/Salt-Explanation1365 for comment. We could not verify the details of the case.