During a recent flight to Europe, I sat in my seat and noticed the line forming around the lavatory, as is usually the manner after the members of the flight crew remove the empty trays, wrappers, cups, and assorted food scraps from the tray tables of each passenger seated in the economy class cabin aboard the airplane.
Brushing Teeth in an Airplane Lavatory
Each person who used the lavatory consumed a few minutes before leaving so that the next person in line may use it.
One of the people who stood in this line was a man whose back towards me as he was adjacent to the seat in front of him. In his hand was a toothbrush and a small tube of toothpaste. Not knowing what else someone does with both a tube of toothpaste and a toothbrush, jumping to the conclusion that he was going to brush his teeth while in the lavatory was a fairly safe assumption.
When the person in front of him finished using the lavatory, he entered; closed and locked the door; and stayed in there. Fellow passengers who were behind him in line awaited his exit from the lavatory.
Five minutes pass. Ten minutes pass. 15 minutes have elapsed. The line grew longer as people anxiously anticipated his emerging from the lavatory — and they were certainly not happy. At least one woman left the back of the line to use a different lavatory aboard the airplane.
After almost 20 minutes, he finally emerged from the lavatory — slowly — and eventually shuffled his way down the aisle towards his seat.
Summary
I get it: people have their grooming habits to which they are accustomed; and I admire those people for keeping such a strict regimen. Some people must brush their teeth so many times in a day and at certain hours of the day. Perhaps they want to avoid using a public restroom at the airport; or maybe they may arrive at the hotel too late to first start brushing their teeth…
…but should a passenger use a lavatory for almost 20 minutes to brush his teeth? Could he really not have waited until after the conclusion of the flight to brush his teeth so that other passengers may have use of the lavatory? As an example, if there were only four lavatories aboard the aircraft, that means that 25 percent of them were “out of commission” and unusable by fellow passengers.
In my opinion, embarking on travel means sacrificing some paradigms and rituals. It may mean a trade-off between normal habits and having some courtesy for fellow passengers. I personally would never consider tying up a lavatory aboard an airplane — especially after the collection of refuse from a meal service — to brush my teeth, as I have respect for the needs of fellow passengers. Unless an emergency is in effect, I strive to ensure that my time inside of a lavatory of an airplane is kept to a minimum.
What would be your thoughts on a minimum time limit when using the lavatory aboard an airplane other than for using the toilet and washing hands afterwards? Should there even be a minimum time limit at all?
The indicator on the bulkhead wall that the lavatory is currently in use was illuminated at the time the photograph was taken. Photograph ©2018 by Brian Cohen.
