Would you use a restroom on a plane without shoes or socks?
The question has sparked a debate online after video footage of a man exiting a plane toilet barefoot has gone viral on Instagram.
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The 8-second video, posted to the Instagram account PassengerShaming, was uploaded with a caption that reads:
“PRO TRAVEL TIP: That liquid on the floor of the lavatory? It is NOT WATER. Proceed accordingly…AND WEAR YOUR GD SHOES!!”
With more than 200,000 views online, users were quick to comment on the video.
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One user stated: “So gross! Why, oh why on Earth someone would think it’s ok to walk barefoot on a plane? Do they walk barefoot on the streets too? Airport? Public restroom anywhere else? No, right?”
Another follower stated: “That’s ok, they will clean their feet on the armrest just in front.”
In recent years, there have been increased calls for airlines to ban passengers from going barefoot in the cabin.
While no airlines have reportedly banned passengers from walking barefoot, flight attendants have shared some of their experiences on Reddit to encourage passengers not to walk around the cabin without socks and shoes.
“Please do not ever walk into a toilet with bare feet. I promise you, 9 times out of 10, that is not water on the floor. Also please don’t try and have sex in them, you are so obvious and it is filthy. The toilets are often absolutely disgusting and get deep cleaned only at the end of a route… For us this could be from one side of the world to the other… imagine how lovely they are at the end of a 12 hour flight with 200 people using them.” – HausofDarling
Another flight attendant posted:
“So many incidents occur on the plane that every day passengers don’t see or consider. My last flight an elderly man accidentally s**t on the floor, stepped in it, and walked on like it was nothing. DO NOT WALK AROUND BAREFOOT. Pee and poop happens, all over. I feel like I witness an ‘accident’ regularly; in their seat or in the lav. People get nose bleeds, or their wounds open. Obviously when we land, it is thoroughly cleaned. But inflight our resources are limited.” – seeyou_never.