Airplane Etiquette: What Should You Do When The Jerk Next To You Is Watching Porn?
PCWorld examines an interesting problem: What to do when the jerk next to you is watching hardcore porn on his laptop? Or what can be done about jerks who let their kids watch movies with no headphones? Can the airline do anything to stop jerks?
According to PCWorld's investigation into several airline's "Contracts of Carraige"... not much can be done. From PC World:
Airlines do have rules regarding passenger conduct, however vaguely worded they may be. For example, American Airlines' Acceptance of Passengers states: "American may refuse to transport you, or may remove you from your flight at any point, for one or several reasons, including but not limited to the following." The document goes on to list seven examples of behavior that may cause you to be kicked off a plane, but only number six comes close to addressing the offensive behavior described in the Times: "Your conduct is disorderly, abusive, or violent, or you...refuse to obey instructions from any flight crew member."Is it disorderly to watch pornography on a laptop in full view of the person sitting next to you? It happened to one passenger, and she told the New York Times about it:
Recently, [a female airline passenger] was in a window seat on a full flight from Newark to San Francisco, next to a man who opened his laptop on his tray table and began watching a hard-core pornographic DVD.We guess that the only thing you can do is ask the jerk to quit watching porn. PC World asked a retaired airline captain of 36 years his opinion on the matter:"It was hard to ignore, with him sitting that close," said [the passenger], who finally got up and asked a flight attendant what could be done, since she didn't want to engage the man. The answer: Nothing.
"The ticket you purchase gives you seat space on a flight in the cabin area for which you paid. If the passenger meets the criteria established during the financial exchange for that ticket and the flight departs, they have the right to go on that flight. The entire time on board the aircraft they must comply with the federal regulations governing passengers and crew on air carrier aircraft. The porn viewer does not appear to have been breaking any of those regulations."
What do you think? What would you do?
Airline Passenger Code of Conduct, Part 1 [PC World]
(Photo: mamamusings)
Post a comment
Comments:
"She didn't want to engage the man."
Exactly. How about "Hey buddy - could you save the spank material for your hotel room?"
i would demand a change of seats.
Can't the airline just say that pornography interferes with the plane's navigational systems? It works for keeping people off their cell phones during flights.
He may not have broken any flying regulation, but it is certainly criminal to view a porn DVD in public. She should have found a cop after landing and reported the man.
I guess he wanted to keep his groin in an upright and locked position. Yuk yuk.
I like the idea of bringing unwanted attention to the guy.
@160medic:
Yup, i think embarassment is the best way to go, if the airline staff are unable or unwilling to do anything. What a creep. At least take it to the bathroom.
And I thought the guy reading a Playboy a few seats away from me was pushing it. Watching porn on a laptop is highly inappropriate in a public setting (are airplanes considered public?). If there are children present couldn't the viewer be charged with some sort of a crime?
It seems so strange as I never knew porn was watched as a form of entertainment - I thought it was just a sort of means to an end.
When watching movies on a flight that have any form of nudity or questionable content I usually either cover my screen or fast forward through those parts as a courtesy to my fellow passengers.
Is directly asking him to turn it off out of the question?
That aside, isn't there some kind of indeceny clause that could be applied here? What if a kid wandered up the aisle and saw it? There'd be absolute hell to pay from the parents, I'm sure.
You all seriousness, if the person is just watching it without doing things they should be doing while they're alone, then I don't see a problem with it.
Just like if someone was watching a hardcore horror movie with lots gore, like Hostel or what not.
I'd think that watching porn on a plane with the screen in full view of other passengers would violate some sort of decency law, or a law about (if there are kids on the flight) exposing children to that content.
Call Sam Jackson - "No more MU******CKING PORN ON A PLANE, MU******CKER!!!!!!"
Oh just wait till they start allowing cellphone use on airplanes.
No, it's not anywhere near as bad as porn, but just imagine how disruptive and annoying a bunch of people talking on cellphones in a confined space is gonna be.
I'd probably ask him once to not watch it and then if he didn't comply go with the "make it public" route.
I'd ask quietly for him to watch something else, in a slightly disparaging tone.
If he didn't switch it to something else, I'd tell him that if he didn't switch it immediately, I'm going to rub one out and spew it across his lap. His keyboard. His chest. Hopefully his face (but only if he was watching REALLY good porn).
First off, eeeeewwwwww. I mean, what a****** watches that in public sitting next to someone.
I like the idea of embarrassment. How about saying something (loudly) like, "Wow! I guess after Brokeback Mountain everyone's getting into good ol' man on man action! Is this your favorite?!"
But seriously, aren't there laws against subjecting minors to indecent acts or something?
Everybody just needs to cut the porn-watcher a break. Comcast/Time Warner/Microsoft/EA Sports must have gained control of his laptop and forgot to clean the porn off before issuing it to this guy.
There are rules, and there is common sense. The function of a stewardess, among saftey things, is to ensure people are comfortable. If someone says they are uncomfortable, it's in your control to walk over to the offending passenger and say softly "please don't do that". If the pervert objects or says "don't do what" -- I would think a polite human would more directly and in a tone that others hear say "don't watch porn in public please, it's quite offensive". If the pervert is an expert in in-flight laws and tells you that they are not in violation of anything, say "ok, be a jerk" and walk away. I dont think it would get that far -- others would hear this and step in
@160medic: LOL that is fantastic.
Not to pick on the non-confrontational folks here, but if you're so bothered by something, yet it bothers you to speak up, too - well then, guess you should just learn to suck it up. Tattling went by the wayside in the 1st grade...
I'm curious... how is one ticketed for driving while watching porn... but nothing can be done about watching porn in public (with children present on this flight i assume)?
while in US airspace, you must comply by US federal law... such as decency laws. I'd assume that watching porn falls under that sort of decency.
I think she should get over it and not look at his computer screen. I bet she would have no problem doing that if it were a screen full of sales figures or boring work e-mails.
Who the heck would want to watch porn on a plane without being able to do what people do when they watch porn? What a rude ass though. I'd side on being as loud as you can to embarrass this jerk.
why was my previous comment deleted?
Does anybody else think there's something very creepy about a man sitting next to a woman he doesn't know on an airplane (or anywhere for that matter) and watching porn? That seems to be sexual-predator-like behavior.
What's wrong with a little pornography? If people could see sex and nudity in public and not be all freaked out about it, we would be a much healthier culture. Maybe, as a culture, if porn was a little less scandelous, then we would see less of things like paris hilton and faux news babes lying to americans by exploiting peoples fears relating to their repressed sexuality and insecure masculinity.
And images of sexuality are much more damaging to children when adults overreact, and make a huge deal of it, then if they were to ignore it or be disinterested or explain what's going on without histrionics. A 5 or 6 year old who sees a bit of porn is going to be much more fucked up by his screaming mother flipping out, then by the actual image.
I didn't even watch my DVD of "Lost Season 1" because I thought it was inappropriate to watch an hour-long episode about a horrendous plane crash while on a flight. I'm in for embarassing him - or pointing out nearby kids to the flight attendant.
Ask them to stop. Loudly. I bet that will work!
I'd keep pressuring him to stop, hoping he gets angry with me and throws a punch. I'd then use the money from the settlement to pay off my student loan.
If Americans weren't so retarded when it comes to sex then a) the girl would not have been offended and b) the guy likely would not have seen the need to watch it on a plane. Lighten up people, everybody has private parts and we all know what the other sex's look like also. Most civilized countries allow full nudity on tv, then again, they have health care too. Maybe its time to wake up and take your heads out of your asses!
I think the guy should be able to discreetly watch his porno on the plane. Yeah, its gross. Yeah, he is a scumbag. But no one should be watching his screen but him. If you don't like it, don't look.
At the same time, if someone were watching porn next to me, I would make it my personal mission to make sure everyone knows it. Thats more because I am a jerk though...
I had a woman yell at me on a plane to Kentucky one time, because I was reading a Maxim Magazine, and she found it "offensive". I just ignored her. I wish I had had a playboy or something with me. I would have apologized profusely, put the Maxim away and pulled that out.
Jeebus people, mind your own business...
This is actually surprising to me, considering we just had that case a few months ago about the couple being ordered by the airline attendant to stop kissing and caressing each other on the flight. If anything, I would think the airline would use the argument that other commercial businesses make: we reserve the right to refuse service to customers. For instance, airlines don't need to fully respect the First Amendment, since it's not a public space. If I bring a radio inside of a clothing store, they can kick me out regardless of whether there are explicit signs prohibiting that particular behavior. I don't see why an airline can't just say "no porn" and be done with it.
Your rights end where mine begin.
You have the right to watch porn until it starts interfering with my right -not- to watch it. Applying the "reasonable person" test (Gosh, the wonderful things you learn from Law & Order), I think it safe to say that any reasonable person--or judge--would agree that an airline passenger watching porn is, intentionally or not, forcing it upon the people next to him.
He couldn't even argue that "you shouldn't look at it if you don't want to", as a person's normal field of vision would overlap that space, making that impossible. And what about the people walking up and down the aisle? If nothing else, did he check ID to make sure everyone on the plane was 18? When you look for the limiting case here, you don't have to look very far, and there are lots of them.
But the real point is obvious, and I'm surprised the article didn't pick up on it. Regular laws still apply in the air. You can't just pretend you're the Vatican and make up your own rules. What's written on the back of the ticket is a rule meant to -supplement- the laws that already exist, not supplant them. If you aren't allowed to show porn to the unsuspecting or unwilling public here on terra firma, you can't do it at any altitude. Certainly, we expect the rest of the laws to apply up there.
Bottom line: If she isn't allowed to strangle him for it, he's not allowed to shove porn in front of her face.
My main issue with this creep doing this is if kids could see the movie.
The argument that its just nudity is disingenuous at best. If the dude was looking at a playboy or something, I would be miffed and ask him to stop, but I wouldn't get pissy with him. But if he is watching some chick get a "colonoscopy" from "Tree Trunk McGurk", I am going to have a big issue with that. It's my job as a parent to teach my sons the proper way to treat women (amongst other things), and I don't think that a hardcore porn movie would be the best example of treating women respectfully.
Given that airlines have been noted for hastling playboy readers, the flight attendant could have easily asked the person to shut off Big Boy Bangers 47 or whatever crap he was watching.
It's all good and well to say no one else should be looking at the screen, but if she's in the window seat, she can't help but look his way whenever she wants to stand up. It's a public space, and there are laws against public indecency. Whether or not you agree that there should be such laws, the laws do exist, and the airline was wrong to say they could do nothing.
it is this simple:
An airplane is a privately owned transportation method. Therefore, the owners (or representatives thereof, i.e. flight attendants) can make decisions on what is or is not allowed. The flight attendant simply could have told the gentleman he needed to turn off the porn. If he did not comply, they could have removed him from the flight.
Same goes for kids watching dvd's without headphones. That's why they make you use headphones for the movies, because NOT EVERYBODY WANTS TO HEAR IT!
Remember people. This is key: Airplanes are not government entities. Therefore, you do not have every god-given right to do whatever you please on an airplane. If you don't do what they say, they can kick you off. And it's not discrimination. They're running a business. It saves money pissing off one person instead of letting many get pissed off so that one person isn't.
So US Airways can demand that a woman who is legally breastfeeding (while sitting next to her husband) her baby to cover up but another airline can't tell a jerk to stop watching hardcore porn in a full flight.
Somehow that doesn't jive.
Porn is hardly more disrespectful to women then any sitcom with the stay-at-home moms. Any porn I've seen, the woman is consenting to everything so exactly how is that disrespectful??
I think it is more disrespectful to try to push your views onto others on an airplane, basing your arguement on the fact you have children. What about my right to fly and not have to listen to screaming children?? Perhaps they shouldn't be there at all!
All the people saying he should be arrested "if a kid walks by." What if he's watching some movie that happens to show nudity, or has a sex scene without the "hard-core" aspect to it? Or say the guy is watching some French cinema (that'll likely meet all the criteia above) should he still be thrown in jail, or do you just want him thrown in jail because you don't share the same tastes as the guy?
How about R-rated? Should those be illegal to watch in "public"...NC-17? Unrated movies?!?
I believe he should be able to watch the porno, because technically, you're not in a public area. He paid for that space and should be able to do whatever he pleases, as long as he doesn't violate the airport rules. If I was watching a porno and you started harassing me, I'd report YOU to the stewards. I think it would be hilarious if they told you to stop bothering me.
If you don't want your kids to see nudity, put them in a caged room and make them clean themselves with their clothing on, ban all animal (because they are NAKEDS, OMFG!) and do everything in your power to isolate them until your death, which they will be so deranged that they will live in a mental ward, naked, and getting sponge baths from the nurses.
I'm laughing at you right now!
Ask the flight attendant for a bible, then start reading it aloud, facing the porn watcher.
@TinaT:
I disagree with what you consider public. I am pretty confident it is legal for me to read a playboy in public, because there is an expectation of privacy that no one should be reading over my shoulder. A small dvd player, or laptop should fall under this category as well. I have sat next to people on planes, and been able to not look at their laptop screens when getting up. She most certainly COULD help but look his way.
Decency laws are crap btw. If I want to stand naked in the middle of Times Square and scream profanity at children for the sake of my art, I should be allowed to. Freedom of Speech.
@rocnrule:
I don't want to get into a huge aregemnt about the pros and cons about the porn industry, but I think (yes, i know, it's very subjective) is that porn hardly shows a healthy relationship between a man and woman. I know the woman is consenting (at least I would hope he isn't watching the other type of porn), but isn't is rather objectifying the women. I know it sounds a bit cliche, but I really don't want my kids thinking that all women are just over-sexed & easy
Your "right to fly"? Are you kidding me? How is flying a "right"? Lemme check the Constitution... Hmm.. Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, nothing about flying, though. And by the way, my kids have as much of right to be on the airplane as you do, my friend.
If the flight attendants didn't do anything, I'd stand up in the aisle and announce to the entire plane that the man in 14B is watching porn. Let him deal with that if he wants to be public about it. (or just tell the flight attendant he was rubbing his crotch and making advances)
And don't give me this cr*p about Americans being prudes about sex. I doubt that Lufthansa flights are full of Germans watching hardcore porn.
Why must any attempt at promoting decent behavior be seen as a threat to open mindedness or freedom?
@KSE: I agree, jail would be an overreaction. Seriously though, is it too much to ask that people just have some common sense and be aware of what you are watching vs. who is present. Save the "racy" stuff for a more appropriate time.
Perhaps he's a reviewer for Hustler and had to make a deadline.
OK so:
1) Breastfeeding on a plane: not ok
2) T-shirt with Arabic on a plane: not ok
3) Laptop playing porn on a plane: OK
Would porn on a t-shirt be ok?
If they woman couldn't simply ask the man to stop, there is a larger issue at hand.
But seriously, I don't get it. I wouldn't watch porn on a plane, and I would prefer that the people next to me not watch it. Howver, if they chose to do so, I'd mind my own business. If for some reason I felt that was not possible, I'd politely ask if they would mind watching something else. I would expect the same out of anyone else, whether it be an extremely gorey movie, or the sexuality of another non-porn movie. After all, I'd rather sit next to a silent porn watcher than an obnoxious kid who feels the need to bounce all over the place.
Also, I doubt a guy watching a hardcore porn on a plane is going to care if people know. I don't think announcing it to the plane is really going to matter, and it shouldn't.
@RP: Is it Arabic porn?
PEEVED GUY
Constitution did not say that.It is the Declaration of Independence that has those words.Are you one of those maple leafers or something?
I would say in a loud voice "Wow is that Backdoor Bonanza? Wow look at that you like guys too huh!!"