Basic Etiquette On A Plane

As AirAsia Flight AK6181 from Miri to Kuching prepared for landing at Kuching International Airport yesterday, the usual reminder about use of hand phones only after the safety belt sign had been switched off was made by one of the cabin crew.

I was sitting in a middle seat towards the back portion of the plane and as soon as the plane touched down on the runway at Kuching International Airport, the passengers on my left and right immediately switched on their hand phones and started using their phones totally disregarding the reminder about the use of hand phones. I looked around and saw that a lot of the other passengers were likewise using their hand phones.  I guess these people must be suffering from a bad case of hand phone addiction.

Flying etiquette

After the plane had come to a complete stop, everyone started to get up from their seats. I was getting my luggage from the overhead compartment when a fat guy pushed his way from behind just to get in front of me. I was a bit irritated by his behavior but when I looked at him, I saw the guy dressed like an Ah Beng with thick glasses, funny haircut and a garish T-shirt. I fought to control myself from laughing out loud.

Shortly after that guy had pushed in front of me, there was an announcement that we could disembark from the rear exit of the plane. I had the last laugh as I was just a few rows from the rear exit and the fat Ah Beng was now behind me when I turned towards the back exit.

I was making my way towards the rear exit when I saw a friend sitting in the second last row. He was unable to disembark as his luggage was in the overhead compartment next to where I was standing. I asked him which luggage was his and when he pointed to his luggage, I helped him retrieve it and he thanked me for helping him.

It does not require much effort to observe certain etiquette on a plane. I just can’t understand why so many people find it so hard to adhere to such basic courtesy and etiquette.