Traveller shocked after discovering mystery object 'poking him' on plane
Flying can be a stressful experience for many travellers. Being crammed in a small space for a long period of time can make people feel anxious.
As exciting as the prospect of a holiday or an adventure is, it still doesn't stop some travellers from feeling nervous. One thing that can make plane passengers feel uncomfortable is the prospect of other travellers invading their personal space.
One man has spoken of an awkward encounter he experienced when he was on a flight. He was sat in his window seat when he suddenly felt something 'hard and warm' poking' his elbow.
READ MORE: 'I'm a security expert, this is why I always travel with a £2 rubber doorstop'
READ MORE: Blake Lively calls Justin Baldoni 'creep' in amended complaint
When he turned around to see what it was, he was horrified to discover what it was. Posting on Reddit, the man asked how others would have handled the situation.
He recalled "You're on a plane. Sitting at window seat. Suddenly your left elbow is poked by something hard and warm. You turn to see this. What do you do?"
The Mirror reports the man posted an accompanying picture which showed the root cause of his discomfort - a foot lodged near his arm rest, protruding far enough to touch him repeatedly. The situation was worsened by the fact that the passenger had removed their shoes, resulting in direct contact between their bare feet and the man's arm.
The image prompted heated discussion after being circulated on social media. One individual, identifying as an air steward, commented: "I am an air steward and, trust me guys, people sit in all possible weirdest ways in a aircraft regardless how less leg room they have. And the audacity to remove the shoes with their smelly stockings, or feet exposing around is pleaseeeee, disgusting man."
Another disgruntled passenger suggested: "Ask the flight attendant to politely ask the person behind you to sit properly and act like a human - not a chimp."
Echoing the sentiment, a third shared their own experience, writing: "Ah, this reminds me of what I did. It wasn't a window seat though, but same thing. I felt the toenail was poking through. She was wearing socks though.
"I even looked back and stared down hoping she would get the message, but the audacity of this where the foot goes further front a bit. So I lifted the armrest and immediately looked back - it was somewhat satisfying to see she stumbled because her feet fell to the floor, and never took the armrest down through the flight."
Meanwhile, another inquisitive commenter wrote: "Why the heck do these people like to open their shoes while on a fully air-conditioned place? The smell travels you know."
Should you take off your shoes on a plane?
While it may not be written in stone, it’s widely regarded as discourteous to remove your shoes during a flight. Keeping shoes firmly on is expected, unless there's a compelling health-related reason behind the removal.
Doing so prevents potential infections from walking barefoot, avoids discomfort for others aboard and sidesteps the issue of later struggling to slip them back on if any in-flight foot swelling occurs.
