The Ringer asks: "What do you think is the worst thing you have to sit next to on a plane?"

[Empress of ice cream]

The shoes off person because there is the risk that they smell terrible. Sitting next to someone who stinks is the worst.

Contagious is next.

The rest of the list is sort of alright. Especially babies and toddlers. The majority of parents do their best but babies scream and toddlers wail. They are still adorable.

 

[NekoNeko]

i don't mind babies, mainly feel bad for the parent.
just use headphones and they don't bother you at all.

it's smell btw.

 

[Midramble]

As someone with wide shoulders, someone like me. Headphones work for the rest. Also, very pump warm people.

 

[hydruxo]

For me it's people that smell bad / take off their shoes / etc.

I can deal with noise and whatnot but people with bad hygiene and no regard for how it might affect people near them is the worst

You can put in headphones and zone out loud kids or talkers, but you can't do anything about someone who smells bad

 

[Hrodulf]

Speaking from experience, I don't think most of these really compare to having to sit near someone who smells as if they haven't bathed in months (at least), to the point where it makes you gag/nearly vomit. Young children/Infants are pretty bad, but you typically have to hear them regardless of where you're seated.

 

[earthsucks]

NEXT to? either a crying kid or a morbidly obese person.

sitting behind a recliner is much worse than both of them, though.

 

[Absent Uncle]

Drunks or someone with extremely bad odor.

babies are manageable. Pop in some ear plugs or noise canceling headphones if you have some.

 

[Marukoban]

Where's the option for people are too big for their seat and encroach into your space?

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This so much.

 

[Htown]

babies can be terrible, but it's not their fault

taking your goddamn shoes off is a fucking war crime

 

[5pectre]

The ones that haven't showered for a week

 

[TechnicPuppet]

I love babies. I couldn't decide between the drunk and the groomer. Never had experience of a groomer before but definitely have with a drunk so went with that.

 

[Z-Beat]

 

[Notaskwid]

Nothing brings out the misanthropy in me like some airplane clapping

 

[Dhx]

So many wrong responses from people who have clearly not been awkwardly pinned against the window by people who overflow their seats by half.

 

[finfinfin]

Co-pilot.

I cannot fly a plane.

 

[Qasiel]

It's contagious. Sure, you might have to put up with a screaming baby for a few hours, but sitting next to a contagious person could have a knock-on effect that can last days.

 

[eso76]

I don't mind that chatter at all.

 

[inner-G]

Babies can be annoying but people who recline on planes are worse

 

[overcast]

Babies and people that stink are pretty awful. Haven't been next to a groomer or wasted person though.

 

[John Dunbar]

honest question: did they leave out fat because it would be offensive or because it would be the overwhelming winner?

 

[Bradford]

Babies/children no question. I would pay extra to fly on an adults-only flight.

I have sympathy for parents that fly, and I get it, you are doing your best, but flights suck as is and children just make it worse for everyone else. There is nothing that you can do to make that better so I don't hold it against parents, but God damn. Gimme an 18+ flight, please. No amount of noise cancelling or ear plugs will stop the ear splitting screams and seat-kicking of a shitty toddler.

 

[SpeedyBlueDude]

I take my shoes off during flights and didn't know this was an issue.

I assumed it'd be fine because I always showered right before a flight. 😫

 

[ZiZ]

Clappers are real? I thought they were a meme. Do people tip the pilot too?

 

[Kurita]

Small bladders

 

[Deleted member 19070]

honest question: did they leave out fat because it would be offensive or because it would be the overwhelming winner?

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had that same thought. Was hesitant to put that myself as a response because I thought ppl would be offended but see it's already been mentioned a lot.

I fly a good bit and every time I am sitting there praying a morbidly obese person doesn't sit next to me.

 

[Xiaomi]

put babies/toddlers together and you have a winner.

I take my shoes off during flights and didn't know this was an issue.

I assumed it'd be fine because I always showered right before a flight. 😫

Click to shrink...

If clean feet and wearing socks, alright maybe. If barefoot, hell no, what is wrong with you.

 

[SpeedyBlueDude]

put babies/toddlers together and you have a winner.

If clean feet and wearing socks, alright maybe. If barefoot, hell no, what is wrong with you.

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Do people not always wear socks when wearing shoes? What kind of world do we live in? 😨

I guess I can see shoes themselves smelling bad and that smell leaking out, regardless of clean feet and clean socks. But, that's what washing them is for.

 

[Valcrist]

So many wrong responses from people who have clearly not been awkwardly pinned against the window by people who overflow their seats by half.

Click to shrink...

I want to sit next to you in a plane and torture you with my fat.

 

[henhowc]

I don't think of any of these sound too awful. Hygiene is the main one and it's not on here

 

[Deleted member 1478]

Babies would be annoying but I at least know it's not their fault. A drunk would just piss me off.

 

[Dr. Mario]

I was once sat next to a person who kept thumbing nervously through some kind of holy book and praying intensely to themselves, that was fun. After a few sweaty minutes peeking over their shoulder I figured it was a Bible and I'd probably be all right. After that it became kind of touching because I was sure they just had an incredible fear of flying.

After having babies myself, I don't mind them anymore. Just put on a headset and enjoy the parents' embarrassed pain.

The real dealbreaker is people with terrible BO or who are too fat. I can cocoon in my cramped little space just fine, just don't anyone encroach on it.

Also I'm the kind of American sitcom person who happily stomps around the bedroom wearing his outside shoes, but sleeping in them is too much even for me. On an overnight flight I take my shoes off, sorry everyone. I do wear socks.

 

[Malo]

Clappers are real? I thought they were a meme. Do people tip the pilot too?

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Get on a flight to the Dominican Republic. Everyone starts clapping as soon as the plane touchdowns.

 

[EarlGreyHot]

People that want to have a conversation.

Leave me alone

 

[signal]

What kind of absolute moron would say clapper lol. '3 seconds of clapping during landing is much worse than something annoying me throughout the flight for hours!'

 

[Orbis]

A bad smelling person, easily. I regularly encounter this on trains and it's borderline vomit inducing sometimes. Babies I force myself to accept since they are what they are.

 

[Dhx]

I want to sit next to you in a plane and torture you with my fat.

Click to shrink...

Never again, my friend.

 

[raYne_07]

Obviously its sick people. Why is that not an option on the poll? Babies being second.

And why is clapper on the list? Someone claps for 3 seconds after the plane lands and your flight is ruined?

 

[EarlGreyHot]

Clapping is so wierd.

Do these people also applaud when the bus driver drives into the station?

 

[Cugel]

Humans

 

[RedVejigante]

Wheres the option for "the woman who sat her five year old child in the vacant seat directly next to me so that she could stretch out across the rest of the row, drink beer and pass out on a ten hour flight"?

 

[beelulzebub]

Why are there that many people that voted drunk? I've flown tons of times and have never sat next to someone that's wasted.

Unless simply drinking alcohol applies, although I don't know why that would be any worse or different than if they had a complementary drink instead.

 

[Deleted member 17402]

How the hell is clapper even something to be considered? We're talking about ten seconds of clapping at most during landing most likely. How the fuck is that something to be inconvenienced by?

 

[RestEerie]

little devils babies

for other passengers with bad behavior, there's still reasonable ground for complains. But babies? They are annoying as hell but it's not socially acceptable to complain about them and society as a whole just tolerate them. And before you said 'blame the parents', no. I swear to god, sometimes even the parents wants to pacify their little crying shit but just can't. How do u even pacify a crying baby in the fastest way without resorting to drugging them with alcohol? You can't talk sense and logic with them.

 

[NullPointerException]

Groomer/Shoes off easily.

Can't believe "babies" is the highest option. Yes, they can be loud/noisy but its not their fault really and the parents are struggling enough as it is having to raise the kid. Just put on some headphones and watch your TV show or play your video games.

Groomers/Shoes off folk CHOOSE to do that and its fucking disgusting beyond belief not to mention inescapable. Close second is drunks (at least they'll eventually fall asleep if they aren't the violent types)

 

[Huggie]

Smelly Fat people should be number one.

 

[Ary F.]

Why isn't Flirtatious Man Who Can't Take A Hint an option?

 

[Banderdash]

I'mma add one....

Long haul flight, like 16 hours, I was sitting in the row opposite to an old guy who had either sundowners or early onset dementia.
Halfway through the flight, this old bugger gets up and tries to open the door!
I was up and grabbed him like a shot... now, I know that you supposedly can't open those doors at altitude, but I watched that fucker like a hawk for the rest of the flight.

 

[H.Protagonist]

Can't stand snorers (I can't not hear them, even with headphones on), but my biggest pet peeve is guys who encroach on my space. Half the time they're not even big, they just spread and appropriate the arm rests and wing their elbows and legs into my area every single time. I hate it. Even when it gets to a point that I actually need to ask them to stop, they keep doing it over and over. It's exhausting and annoying.

EDIT to add: Babies are fine. They can't help it, and I feel terrible for them and their parents, especially now that I'm a parent and have flown many, many times with mine.

 

[dennett316]

Clapping is so wierd.

Do these people also applaud when the bus driver drives into the station?

Click to shrink...

No, but then again, a bus isn't hurtling through the air tens of thousands of feet up. And I know, statistically air travel is way safer than being on the road, but flying is still relatively more intimidating than the more familiar everyday of road use. Also, landing a plane seems like it'd take more skill than driving into a bus station.

 

[GeoGonzo]

People picking babies over contagious? WTF?

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This. The baby will ruin your nap, the contagious could ruin your whole vacation.
RastaMentality Good call not including contagious in the poll since it is OBVIOUSLY much worse than any of the others.