Passengers and their rubbish

[AirHostess]

I have a lot of experience of dealing with pax and their trash.

I like pax who say "thank you," or at least acknowledge me when they hand me their trash or used trays. These passenegers then get a smile from me.

What I hate is pax who can't acknowledge me when I clear their tray or used cups away. I think that's just plain rude. I was brought up to acknowledge when people provide a service for me.

To these pax I look right at them and say "you're welcome!" or "Thank YOU," when I collect their rubbish. This often generates a laugh from other pax around them too.

We have many frequent fliers in biz class, the nicer ones always cover their tray with their napkin and say thank you.

Then there are the pax who throw their rubbish on the floor even when we have been down the aisle with the gash cart or wander down every half an hour with a tray to collect used cups etc Even after a 30 minute flight I am shocked to see how much mess pax make and pity our poor cleaners.

I also have pax try to hand me huge broadsheet newspapers...I ask them to stow them in their seat pocket or leave them on their seat when they leave. The same goes for pax try to hand me huge bags of rubbish which won't fit into the bin. You think that the sensible thing to do would be to tie a knot in the bag and leave under the seat so that the cleaners can easily pick it up. Most people just strew the contents of the bag around the seat and aisle instead.

I think you can tell a lot from a person from how they deal with their rubbish.

[XCashier]

I think you can tell a lot from a person from how they deal with their rubbish.

Indeed you can. It's the same with car travel; the decent folks put their rubbish in a bag and then put it in a trash bin at the next fuel station or pit stop. The jerks throw their garbage out the window and all over the highway.

(Yes, I hate litterbugs, and I don't even have to pick up the trash!)

[smileyeagle1021]

I think you can tell a lot from a person from how they deal with their rubbish.

you and mum would get along great... her thing has always been "if that's how clean they are when in the view of the public I'd hate to see what they are like in the privacy of their homes"

[LibraryLady]

Because US carriers rarely provide meals on flights we usually buy a salad or sandwich in the terminal and bring it on board to eat. Is it a problem when a flight attendant comes down the aisle with a trash bag and we place our bagged left-overs in the trash bag?

[Nurian]

I used to be one of those people that cleaned the airplane when it was done for the night. It still amazes me that someone would squash food into the cushion. I want to believe it was a kid. But I doubt it.

[AirHostess]

Because US carriers rarely provide meals on flights we usually buy a salad or sandwich in the terminal and bring it on board to eat. Is it a problem when a flight attendant comes down the aisle with a trash bag and we place our bagged left-overs in the trash bag?

No, just if you have a huge bag that won't fit...I have had pax have hissy fits when I point out that their rubbish won't fit in my gash cart.

[calulu]

Princess Katie, what are we supposed to do with full air sickness bags? I always get so confused by that. I don't want to shove it under the seat, or tuck it back into the seat pocket yet it's just weird to be handing it off to the poor host/hostess too.

[AirHostess]

Princess Katie, what are we supposed to do with full air sickness bags? I always get so confused by that. I don't want to shove it under the seat, or tuck it back into the seat pocket yet it's just weird to be handing it off to the poor host/hostess too.

It's deffo better to hand it to the flight attendant than leave it under your seat. We can get a biohazard bag which you can pop it into and seal it and then put it in the bin. Easy. If you have been sick hopefully the flight attendants will look after you, give you some water and sickness tablets etc

[Silas G. T. Brontë]

When I used to be a teller about a year ago, we used to have some small glass bowls filled with candy/sweets by every teller window for the customers.

I hated the customers who just put their candy/sweet wrappers back into the bowls without saying a word. There was this fast-talking, hyped-up, rude redneck man that I hated the most because he would reach across my counter and put the wrappers right in front of me without even asking me to put it away for him.

[lupo pazzesco]

Yes, I can't stand people who get, well, trashy on public transpo. I've seen people read papers on the metro bus and then just toss the different sections on an empty seat when they're done with them. One woman does this religiously every sunday morning. Reads a section of the sunday chronicle. Tosses it on the seat in front of her. Or the floor, if the bus is crowded. Repeat with all sections. Even the ads. blech.

At work, I particularly dislike people who come into the store with trash in their hands, walk past the two trash cans we have, one by each door, hunt an employee down, and shove their garbage at them, saying "hey, can you throw this away for me?"

I've gotten to the point that I cheerfully smile and tell them there's a trash can right by the door where they entered, they can toss it in on their way out. I am not paid to pick up after you. Granted, I do it anyway, when idiots leave wrappers and papers strewn on the textbook shelves regardless, but seriously? You walk by TWO trash cans. TWO. in plain sight! And the two cans in the parking lot on the way to the doors.

Beh.

Princess Katie is right, you can tell a lot about how people deal with their trash...

[AirHostess]

Urgh. I wish the airline would provide us with disposable gloves to wear when clearing in rubbish. But apparently that would offend the darling passengers!

[EricKei]

No, just if you have a huge bag that won't fit...I have had pax have hissy fits when I point out that their rubbish won't fit in my gash cart.

I can understand having a small bag to hand over (such as the little ones you get at the grocery), but HOW could they possibly fill up anything bigger than that, unless they brought it ONTO the plane already partially-0filled? o_O

[mikoyan29]

Today as I was visiting the zoo, I saw some trash in the lake. The sad part is that there are trash cans about every 30 feet or so. Geeze, can you lazy assholes walk another 30 feet?

[XCashier]

Today as I was visiting the zoo, I saw some trash in the lake. The sad part is that there are trash cans about every 30 feet or so. Geeze, can you lazy assholes walk another 30 feet?

Yeah, and the zoo animals end up swallowing that garbage and getting sick. Bet those bozos would be the first to complain that their favorite animals are off exhibit, because the animals are at the veterinarian's trying to get the trash out of their systems!

[Jay 2K Winger]

At work, I particularly dislike people who come into the store with trash in their hands, walk past the two trash cans we have, one by each door, hunt an employee down, and shove their garbage at them, saying "hey, can you throw this away for me?"

I've gotten to the point that I cheerfully smile and tell them there's a trash can right by the door where they entered, they can toss it in on their way out. I am not paid to pick up after you. Granted, I do it anyway, when idiots leave wrappers and papers strewn on the textbook shelves regardless, but seriously? You walk by TWO trash cans. TWO. in plain sight! And the two cans in the parking lot on the way to the doors.

Gah, this brought back flashbacks of our old AssMan. He could be a generally cool guy at times, but one habit he had that pissed everyone off was the way he'd ask us to pick up trash on the floor. The picking-up of trash isn't the problem, since we all generally understand it's part of our job. But AssMan would stand RIGHT NEXT to the trash, and go, "Hey, can you throw this away?"

I wanted to shake him and go, "You're right there! I know you can bend down to pick stuff up, I've seen you do it!"