I cannot stay in my seat the final hour before a flight lands!

[edhopper]

I have a slight problem with my prostate. On an overseas flight coming into JFK it can be well over an hour after a flight lands that it gets to the gate and I can get to a bathroom in the concourse (sometimes you have to go through customs first)
There is no way I can hold my bladder that long. I usually try to go in to the lavatory in the plane as close to landing as possible.
So what do they expect with this silly rule. Pee my pants?

[Mz Pip]

1. Seriously

I'll bet it enough people really did pee in their pants this rule would end damn quick.

Perhaps and organized "Pee In" is in order here.

[edhopper]

3. I am seriously thinking I need

a note form my doctor.
I mean WTF? How does this stop terrorist?

[csziggy]

4. The airlines would just issue Depends to all the passengers n/t

[Subdivisions]

38. At 50 bucks a pop. n/t

[MH1]

13. If this weren't real and serious for many people, I'd call that a DUzy

"organized Pee In"

:rofl:

(am I being insensitive, guys? I don't mean to but I can't help it!)

[pipi_k]

21. Well I don't think it's insensitive, and I have serious bladder issues too

I'll never get on a plane, but if I did, I would also have a problem with the last hour and not being able to pee. Sometimes I have to go every 15 minutes. And being nervous doesn't help. Not to mention having IBS. So yeah, what do people with bladder/intestinal issues do? Pee and shit themselves?

I think maybe something more than a "pee in" is needed here.

There should also be a "shit in"

A whole planeload of people sitting in their own shits smelling the place up.


:puke:

[phasma ex machina]

65. You can dump the aisles but the TSA will just leave the mess to others. nt

[Mz Pip]

34. I was only being

slightly sarcastic.

If enough people did it, I doubt the airlines could arrest everyone. It would be disruptive but that's the point. It would be messy, but that's the point.

Whoever came up with this lame idea didn't think things through.

All of the things this guy did could have been accomplished mid flight. Just because it happened shortly before landing isn't justification for changing onbpard bathroom procedures.

Good grief, the fault of this lies with the security at the airport of origin. That's what needs to be evalutated, not the times of potty breaks.

[MH1]

57. Oh I am in complete agreement with you

so I probably shouldn't find it as funny as I do. (I am lucky to fly only rarely. Hopefully some sanity will return before my next flight.)

[Missy Vixen]

75. They'll bill the passenger for a replacement seat

You know it's coming.

Truthfully? It's long past time to stop flying unless there is urgent need to do so. Just stop. Money is the only way the airlines will get the point, and so far, it's not working.

IMHO, YMMV.

[TheBigotBasher]

101. Don't blame the airlines for this shit (no pun intended).

This is a stupid over reaction to a lone nut.

Of course it does not stop the neo nazi thugs jumping on the bandwagon of racial profile all Muslims and the more extreme saying ban them from flying. (Some of these stupid suggestions were from people who call themselves Democrats).

[MrMickeysMom]

26. I say some bring a towel and urinal, then ask the flight attendant to empty it

Disgusting? Why, yes... yes, it is.

Effective? Sure. I'm betting it'll make the point, and naturally be easier for the male ticket holders to accomplish.

Visualize swirled pees!

[rainbow4321]

79. Having images of the pee falling under "amount of fluid ounces allowed on board"

"Excuse me, you just pee'd 3 ounces and you can't have more than 2 ounces of fluid..."

I swear this is all falling under the "duct tape" category. What are they gonna do when the line to the bathroom forms 45 minutes before landing and it goes all the way down the aisle?

And I know that I have asked this before, but what happens to flights that are LESS than an hour? No using the bathroom AT ALL? No pillows/blankets/electronic equipment allowed the entire flight?

[Mz Pip]

86. I think this new rule

is just for international flights but I could be wrong. It still is a stupid rule.

[WolverineDG]

95. I'll let you know tomorrow

can't wait til they start arresting little kids for going to the bathroom during the proscribed time. Personally, I'd rather have them pee in the toilet than their seat, but hey, wtf do I know?

dg

[Mari333]

2. I dont know about you but I might buy shares in Amtrak tomorrow

I wont be flying again. I agree.

[iamjoy]

9. Maybe Buy Shares in Kimberly-Clark

they make Depends

I don't mean it as heartless as it may seem. Banning cabin movement one hour before landing is not only a ridiculous measure from a safety and security perspective, it is insensitive to small children (and the adults traveling with them) as well as to people with certain medical conditions.

[Mari333]

11. I hope people on planes all shit their pants in unison

one two three CRAP

that might change things

[pipi_k]

25. Shitting on command would be a whole lot easier...

if everyone had a huge prune juice cocktail about 90 minutes before "mission" time.


:7

[Mari333]

28. hahahahaha

"Cabin Pressure going thru the roof! Mayday! Mayday! Mayday!"

[pipi_k]

33. Eyewitness account: "Well, just before the plane crashed...

we saw the windows break and brown liquid came gushing out..."



:7

[Mari333]

36. LOL WMD's indeed

[NMMNG]

91. My wife and I are with you

Neither of us are flying again. It was bad enough before, but this new stuff is just over the top. Fuck the airlines.

[hlthe2b]

5. Well, that should afflict approximately 50% of men over age 50

When you take into account all the other reasons for needing toilet facilities more urgently (diarrhea, medication reactions, nausea, etc.) I should think TSA will rue the day they decided upon this arbitrary policy. Pretty soon NO ONE will elect to fly.

[Mari333]

8. believe me, a lot of us older women pee when we sneeze

I know I pee a lot more often than I did when I was young. just a sign of old age.
and that last hour on a plane is RIGHT AFTER people have had drinks , etc.

not a good idea.

[MH1]

14. so now people are going to try to time their last pee break for right before the hour cutoff

that should be interesting.

[Mari333]

19. scrambling as the clock ticks away

bad image! long lines! flight attendants popping valium! people hopping over the snack cart! people peeing into paper cups!

[jberryhill]

77. What do you think people were doing before?

The "return to seat" light was already going off a half hour before landing. The magic of an additional thirty minutes eludes me.

[THUNDER HANDS]

6. a snapple bottle comes in handy

:shrug:

[derby378]

7. This is definitely NOT "change I can believe in"

The main problem is that we are still saddled with a useless Department of Homeland Security, which is top-heavy with bureaucracy and corruption and needs to be dismantled.

[MineralMan]

12. This has nothing to do with President Obama. Truly.

Yes, we need changes to be made in airline security regulations. What those should be remains to be seen. For now, we're dealing with a bureaucracy that thinks it has to do something after every incident, whether what they do makes any sense or not.

The reality is that this man should never have been allowed to board a plane bound for the USA. The failure lies in the fact that he was allowed to board. Barn door closing regulations that don't address that are the feeble hand-waving of some Peter Principled bureaucrat who can't think of anything else to do.

President Obama has nothing to do with it, really. The whole DHS system needs a major revamp, but that wasn't going to happen in 2009. Maybe in 2011. Maybe. 2010 is going to be taken up with small, popular changes that won't cost anyone an election. It's going to be that simple. Watch for DADT to end. That's an easy one for 2010.

[derby378]

15. He does, however, have a bully pulpit

I do believe that Obama has a responsibility to start leaning on DHS to stop oppressing civilians who are just trying to get to Grandma's for the holidays.

[MineralMan]

17. Yes, he does. DHS issues, however, need to be addressed

by replacing DHS officials, not using his bully pulpit. Frankly, President Obama has had a lot on his plate in 2009. Expect him to put his energies on some narrower issues in 2010, once the HCR thing has been signed. I know, I know...it's not the HCR bill we wanted, but it's all that could get through both houses of Congress, and it's still not over.

There are smaller, more focused issues that will be addressed in the next two years. Easier to accomplish ones, too.

A review of DHS is on the list, and there will be new appointments made. Nothing changes overnight.

[proud2BlibKansan]

45. I HATE that name

I have been in two airports today and I am so disgusted by that name and the logo. My hubby said it reminds him of some communist country.

[derby378]

46. You have a problem with the Motherland, comrade?

:rofl:

[MineralMan]

10. That's a real problem, to be sure, and

it goes along with other problems people have with a real need to visit the lavatory in the plane.

I'm a geezer guy, too. I restrict fluid intake before and during flights to avoid this problem. I've found a formula that minimizes the issue. Other than that, I don't know what to say. The regulation won't change, I'm afraid, for some time.

[edhopper]

22. Except staying hydrated is a main way to

ward off jetlag, cramping and other effects of long flights.

[MineralMan]

35. You're right, for sure. I know the problem. It's just another one of

those things where we have to compromise. I don't like it, either, but needs must, as our British cousins say.

[Raineyb]

63. Risking bladder infections and worse in order to play along with the

TSA's illusion of security is NOT something I plan to compromise on. What fuckery that is? What's next? Will they make everyone fly naked? Will this be one of those compromises that needs to be done? This does not NEED to be done. It's bullshit.

[MineralMan]

68. Then don't fly. This kind of stuff isn't going to go away.

Like it or not, this is what flyers have to deal with. I don't like it one bit, but, when I fly, I adapt to the current situation or stay at home. It's that simple.

[donco6]

71. Nothing wrong with pointing out the obvious problems with regulations.

Really? Just "deal with it" is the answer?

[MineralMan]

73. Pretty much, yes. That is the answer.

There is not one thing you or I or anyone else in the flying public can do to alter these often silly rules. So, if we want to fly, we do whatever it is. Then, a few hours later, we get off at our destination and go about our business or pleasure.

Every time there is a new rule, multiple threads start up decrying it. I don't like these rules either, but when I fly, which is only a couple of times a year, these days, I do what is necessary to get from here to there without conflict.

Everything about flying, from trying to park at the airport to the long wait at the baggage carousel, is a hassle. Taking off my shoes because some moron tried to bomb a plane with his shoes is a hassle, too, but not that big a deal for me. I just wear some slip-ons and get through security.

Can't pee for the last hour? Well, I guess I'll skip the mid-flight cup of coffee. Can't use my laptop during the last hour? Well my crummy battery would have given out before then, anyhow, and I like looking out the window.

There are real problems out there. Jumping through some hoop at the airport isn't one that stresses me out. I'm more stressed by the traffic at the drop-off and the chance my luggage won't arrive on the same plane as I do.

[jberryhill]

76. Seriously...

If someone can't handle having to be in a seat for an hour, I hope they don't sit near me in the middle of a four seat row across the pacific. I stay up the day before and can sleep for 12 hours on a plane.

[indepat]

90. As for us.give us the liberty to pee or we chose not to fly

:P

[spooky3]

97. Some of us travel for work - and we don't have a choice.

Employers don't give us time to take cruises or long train/bus/car rides.

I think the OP has pointed out a legitimate issue that is particularly compelling because it's not at all clear to me that this rule will stop real terrorists.

The govt and airlines should carefully examine what truly would have detected the danger this latest terrorist and others like him posed and devise reasonable steps based on that, rather than putting thousands of people through needless stress on top of the crap they have been dealing with for years.

[madokie]

16. Obviously not a very well thought out rule if it becomes the rule.

[DemoTex]

18. Consider this bladder-bursting, colon-stretching scenario:

A Trans-Global Airways 777 is 60 minutes out of JFK after a long flight from Paris against 100-knot headwinds. The flight attendants have already secured the cabin. Passengers are confined to their seats for the remainder of the flight until the aircraft is parked at the gate at JFK.

Over Boston the flight crew receives this clearance from Boston Center: "Trans-Global 123, you are cleared to Providence to hold southwest, right hand turns, ten mile legs. Maintain 15,000 feet. Expect further clearance in 45 minutes. Reason for holding: JFK RVR (runway visual range) below Cat-III minimums in heavy snow."

After 30 minutes in the holding pattern over PVD, the JFK runway visibility improves to a quarter of a mile. Trans-Global 123 is cleared out of holding, and continues on to JFK. Fifteen miles from JFK Trans-Global is put into a 18 minute holding pattern while snow plows groom JFK's only open runway. When flight 123 departs the holding fix for the ILS approach into JFK, the passengers have been strapped in their seats for over two hours.

"Trans-Global 123, this is New York Approach Control. You are cleared for the ILS-22L approach. Runway 22L visual range 900 feet, braking action reported nil by a Trans-Global Boeing 747. Report marker inbound to the tower."

"Approach, this is Trans-Global 123. We can't accept an approach to a runway with nil braking. Show us missed approach. I guess we better head to our alternate, Washington Dulles."

Get the picture?

[donco6]

20. It's horrible.

Ultimately, I suspect we're going to have to fly wearing hospital gowns because we'll have to check our entire wardrobe, including the clothes we're wearing. No electronic devices of any kind will be allowed.

[DemoTex]

24. I just hope they use warm KY Jelly on their latex gloves for those body cavity probes ..

Know what I mean, Vern?

[pipi_k]

29. And the other thing I'm visualizing here...

what if people go through those body scanners and they've got a bit of constipation and the screen shows something strange in the lower abdominal area (an impacted stool). I don't even know if stool would show up, but just say they did...

What happens then?

Forced enemas?

Which wouldn't be an entirely bad thing if someone is horribly constipated, but still...rather humiliating

[MissDeeds]

23. I can't either

And imagine the people traveling with children. And what if the plane has to circle for clearance to land for a long time, or if its diverted? This is just absurd. There are so many problems with this idea. And if a terrorist really wants to blow up a plane, can't they just do it one hour earlier? What's so magical about one hour before landing?

Unless I've missed something, the cargo area still the most vulnerable area of a plane. Sheesh.

[jberryhill]

27. What do you do during extended turbulence?

Passengers are frequently restricted to seats for an hour or more during turbulent conditions.

What do you do when that happens? Because that's pretty normal.

[iamjoy]

31. Suffer

Put very simply, if you have to go potty and turbulence keeps you in your seat, you will be very, very uncomfortable. However, as frequently as turbulence occurs, it is still treated as the exception rather than the rule. This supposed security restriction is always going to apply. And what if you have severe turbulence mid-flight that doesn't stop until an hour before landing?

[jberryhill]

37. It happens...

I've been on transpacific flights that were restricted to seats for up to three hours, right up to landing due to turbulence.

It's not that rare an event.

I'd bet half the folks who regularly go on about security nightmares don't fly very much.

The current rule was that passengers must remain seated for thirty minutes prior to landing.

[a la izquierda]

53. I flew from OKC to Phoenix a couple years ago...

we weren't allowed to leave our seats the entire time because of bad turbulence. I was frantic when we landed because I had to pee so bad (and I hate turbulence, so I was already a nervous wreck).
It sucked.

[jberryhill]

58. OKC to PHX?

That's what.... An hour and a half flight?

[donco6]

69. 2 hours or so.

But when you gotta go, you gotta go.

[a la izquierda]

81. About two and a bit...between leaving the gate

and then getting back to the gate at PHX.

[jberryhill]

82. How do you deal with movies? /nt

[a la izquierda]

83. i actually have bladder issues and

IBS. i deal with movies by getting up when i have to. it's no big deal.

[tinrobot]

30. Not your pants, the seat.

If enough people leave behind a "puddle", the policy will change back very quickly.

Think of it as a form of protest.

[iamjoy]

32. The Poor Fight Attendants

They don't make these policies. They don't decide the security guidelines or the stupid airline rules. But they take the abuse for it all.

[treestar]

39. I dont' even see how this will help

since the bomber could light the bomb any time and from his seat.

Anyone heard an explanation for why this supposedly will help?

[Better Today]

44. Ah, but they won't have any privacy to do it and get away with it.

I haven't read any of the details as to how this recent scenario went down, but it would make sense from the stand point of having privacy to set up or ignite something without the other passengers coming to the rescue.

[pipi_k]

47. I don't either

If people can't get up the last hour of the flight, then he waits till just before the "deadline", goes to the bathroom, and sets off his explosive a bit earlier than planned.


What then...are they going to ban bathroom visits altogether? Make people go just before boarding the plane, and if you don't/can't go then, too bad?

[highplainsdem]

40. The new rule will also increase the risk of deep vein thrombosis, for two reasons:

1) The limitation on mobility.

2) The fact that passenger worries about being unable to use the bathroom during that last hour will lead them to ignore the advice to drink plenty of water both before and during the flight as a way to avoid DVT. (And the usual advice is to drink even more water if you're also drinking anything containing caffeine or alcohol.)

[pipi_k]

48. I can definitely see that happening... n/t

[notesdev]

41. Diapers

while they still remain legal to fly with, anyway

Don't you love the security state?

[Mari333]

43. David Vitter will be just fine

[Better Today]

42. If NASA astromauts can wear adult diapers, so can all of us with concerns.

I don't fly so I don't have to worry about it, but someday no doubt I will have to board a plane to somewhere.

I intend on having a few adult diapers in my carried purse/bag. I have a really small bladder, confirmed to be about 1/4 the size of an average adult bladder. The last time I took a plane I was 6.5 months pregnant. Got stuck on the runway for 3 hours and they wouldn't let me out of my seat. . . well not until I literally threatened to pee on their seats. But I realize that those rules are for a reason so I felt bad. Few years/decades later, that NASA crazy lady had the diapers in her purse to go harm her lover's other girlfriend. I don't know why or how, but I decided that was probably the best choice for me both for long car trips and for planes. Once I feel the need to go, even 10-15 mile trip to a rest stop can be impossible, I've peed on the side of the road many times. Seems the diapers would actually be more pleasant than hanging my ass, as lovely as it is, out on a public road with holiday traffic whizzing by.

[pipi_k]

49. For those of us who have done it...

hung our asses out on a public road with traffic whizzing by, I mean....


I got one for myself and a couple of friends...


http://www.go-girl.com/?gclid=CJHJkKqP954CFU1M5Qod1XNWLA



:7

[Better Today]

51. I have no trouble peeing in a jar, but to do that in the car even with that

little device would be nearly impossible. One would still have to be able to stand or squat. I'll stick with the diapers, thanks though.

[dysfunctional press]

50. ever hear of depends undergarments...?

you might want to consider wearing them on international flights into the u.s.

[cascadiance]

52. I'm sure corporate America will look at a potential boon in new kinds of diaper sales!

That would allow for capture of pee and incontinence on a flight, much like the industries for toiletries love having the ADDED market they wouldn't have had otherwise to sell people "sample size" toiletry items they wouldn't be able to sell otherwise for people that need to avoid checking baggage on flights currently.

Then of course that's what the terrorists will do, is find a way to make these diapers into bombs too. Then what will happen? I guess then you'll have a tube that you need to hook up to yourself in your seat for peeing and have a few of those seats available on every flight that will make retrofitting these planes that much more expensive, and pass that expense on to us too.

Bottom line is I think they need to find other ways to monitor what people have that could cause problems than this stupid 1 hour rule. I bet many people would prefer having mandatory video cameras in airplane restrooms instead to monitor what's going on than face the prospect of sitting in seats that have been urinated on on previous flights, etc.

[LisaL]

64. No I wouldn't prefer "mandatory cameras" in airplane restrooms.

I rather "go" right there on the seat.

[cascadiance]

67. But would you rather sit in a seat that someone else just "went" on?

That's the tradeoff... A lot of problems with that, not just the unpleasantries. Disease, etc.

[LisaL]

96. Maybe the seats should be made into a portable toilet.

Then no one ever has to get off the seat at all.

[Greyhound]

54. wear crappy, comfortable clothes and piss in their seat. If this happens only a handful of times,

we will see this idiocy stop right away.

[krabigirl]

55. I feel for you. Neither can many of my family members.

And I have no idea what I would do with my toddler. :( This rule is barbaric and sick.

[bridgit]

56. Boy do I hear you. After an auto accident crushed & ruptured my bladder...

The reconstructive process left it the size of a walnut. Sitting down for the final hour plane flight may not be an option for me :(

[donco6]

84. According to a lot of posters here, I guess you just get to stay home.

Which pretty much sucks for a solution.

[HipChick]

59. I think everyone should pee in their seats to protest

[ohheckyeah]

60. I obviously missed something.

Anybody have a link to this new regulation?

[HipChick]

62. It mostly applies to overseas travel coming into the US

for now...

[ohheckyeah]

66. Thanks. n/t

[donco6]

70. It was all over my flight from Puerto Vallarta to Denver yesterday.

They said new regulations.

[SoCalDem]

61. More people will start driving again..or just staying home

It's about the least appealing thing on earth to me right now...flying anywhere

I think I'd even choose root canal over an airport/airplane experience

[seabeyond]

72. pee your pants. the illusion of safety is much more important than someones right NOT

to pee on themselves.

my son in elementary school was not allow to use the bathroom. i told him he had the right not to pee his pants. my bad. i guess i was wrong.

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

74. "The Patriot Act is Shitting Your Pants" - Bill Maher

[Tesha]

78. A link to the story in "The New York Times", if anyone cares...

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/27/us/27security.html?_r=1

Tesha

[EmeraldCityGrl]

80. Buy stock in Depends.

[marmar]

85. For a while after 9/11, you couldn't stand for the last half-hour or so of flights into DCA....

(Washington National Airport, for those unfamiliar with airport codes)....and I swear that every time I took that flight, I suddenly had to pee like a racehorse the last half hour of the flight.

[mike_c]

87. don't fly....

Seriously. I refuse to fly any longer, not until airlines start acting like they appreciate the business again.

[Rhiannon12866]

89. I don't like to fly, but that's the only way to get to a lot of places...

Like Europe, or Asia, or even across the country. But I haven't flown since before 9/11. For the moment, there's no place I need to get to that badly. :-(

[JI7]

88. i drink a lot of water,i think it's a stupid rule

i don't see how that's supposed to help anyways.

[kestrel91316]

92. Depends. Seriously. We'll ALL need to be wearing them.

[Ilsa]

93. You have my sympathies. I am over 50 and have

excellent bladder control. But my SO does not. He had a radical prostatectomy earlier this year, and regained bladder control within 3 days after DCing the catheter, but is very careful to attend to his bladder needs quickly. Fortunately, he doesn't need to fly much these days. But I'll be reminding him of this absurd rule next time he does need to fly.

[KoKo]

94. One wonders if the Drug Commericals about "Guys Having to Go!" might be coming

into play here... Sheesh...I hope not. Getting you on Drugs so you can comply with new TSA Rules? :wtf:

[paparush]

98. Whip it out and let if fly in the aisle. nt

[wanchaiman]

99. Stay in my seat? Forget it. In fact forget travelling to the US at all...

I need to go three or 4 times in the final hour. As the plane descends the pressure builds up and I just have to go.....

The easiest way for me it simple not to go to the USA at all! I then avoid the stupid stay in the seat rule, the stupid limit on liquids (have you ever tried to buy suntan lotion is less than a 4oz bottle?), the stupid security checks and the stupid immigration queues. Oh I almost forgot the poor service on and off the US airlines......

Amazing that the USA is supposed to be the most advanced country in the world.... but the journey and "welcome to America" is shrouded by stress and frustration.

[Skittles]

100. a gentleman on my last flight

when told it was too close to landing for him to use the bathroom, he told the flight attendant, Ma'am, I can either piss in the seat or in the bathroom - they let him go to the bathroom

[tblue37]

102. Neither can I. Many of us have 15-20 minute tanks! nt

[panzerfaust]

103. Portable Urinals are available for both males and females (seriously)

"...easy to use while sitting or standing. Will not leak, even if punctured. Keep several in the plane..."

http://sportys.com/PilotShop/product/13090

Just don't go over the 28 ounce capacity.
------------------

Disclaimer: I have no financial interest this company.

[malaise]

104. It's absolutely crazy

On any given full flight, there will be people using the bathroom up to ten minutes before landing. Just calculate the mealtime plus the number of passengers and logical trips to the bathroom. What an asinine regulation. Passengers will soon be sitting in other passengers' pee.
The airlines won't pick up this tab - believe me on that.

add

[HipChick]

105. I think they will enforce it for a few months...and when all the hoopla goes away and there's too

many soiled seats...it will go away - on a big international jumbo jet - there is no way they have the staff to escort people to the bathroom

[WolverineDG]

106. No potty ban on domestic flights but

they also don't give you updates from the flight deck about where you are or how long until you get to where you are going (like terrorists don't know how to use a watch :eyes: ). Just got in from Seattle & nothing major. Overheard a woman coming from Canada saying that they were all hand-searched upon arrival in the US but the TSA didn't know what they were looking for (oh, I feel so safe now!!!), & that all their carry-on luggage was emptied out & sorted through before they were let in to the US.

dg