Passenger Forced to Pee In Air Sickness Bag

[Matt Molnar]

SkyWest sorry for not letting passenger use restroom

Desperate, he used air sickness bag for urinary relief

By Paul Beebe
The Salt Lake Tribune
Article Last Updated: 03/16/2007 03:40:46 PM MDT

Posted: 2:05 PM- SkyWest Airlines has apologized to a passenger barred from a plane's restroom by a flight attendant.

James Whipple says that after repeated pleas to empty his beer-filled bladder on a recent flight, he finally found relief - with an air sickness bag.

Now, the Sandy man says SkyWest has issued him an apology for his distress.

"It was like I had no choice. I started to urinate on myself. So, thinking the way I thought, I grabbed one of those vomit bags," Whipple said.

"I didn't think I did anything wrong. I could have relieved myself all over my pants. It was almost like that was what she preferred me to do," he said. More...

[hiss srq]

An hour!? It's called piss before takeoff! At several regional airlines I have looked into flying for one of the medical requirements is that you can go 90 minutes without useing a bathroom.

[Midnight Mike]

An hour!? It's called piss before takeoff! At several regional airlines I have looked into flying for one of the medical requirements is that you can go 90 minutes without useing a bathroom.

There are people that have small bladders, that is why they toilets on the airplane.

Here is some additional information, (I bolded parts that you mentioned):

Man Relieves Himself in Air-Sickness Bag
SkyWest Airline Apologizes to Passenger Who Had to Urinate in Air-Sickness Bag During Flight
The Associated Press
SALT LAKE CITY - SkyWest Airlines apologized to a passenger who said he wasn't allowed to use the restroom during a one-hour flight and ended up urinating in an air-sickness bag.

James Whipple said he had two "really big beers" at the Boise, Idaho airport. While on a flight to Salt Lake City on March 7 he wanted to use the cabin restroom.


The captain had declared it off-limits during the short flight because a light wasn't working.


Whipple said he had used the cabin restroom before the plane departed but had to go again and finally reached for the air-sickness bag.


"It was like I had no choice," Whipple told The Salt Lake Tribune, which posted the story on its Web site Friday.


No other passengers noticed Whipple using the bag, but a flight attendant asked him about it and told the captain, who called airport police.


Whipple was questioned and took a taxi home to Sandy, a Salt Lake City suburb.


The airline sent him a letter of apology and a flight voucher, SkyWest spokeswoman Sabrena Suite-Mangum said Friday.


She said SkyWest decided to go ahead with the flight and get the light fixed in Salt Lake City, rather than delaying it or canceling it for repairs.


"For such a short flight, we really felt we were trying to inconvenience the least number of passengers possible by operating that flight," Suite-Mangum said.

Now, if the airline was smart, they should have made an announcement that they toilet was broke & if you had to use a toilet on the flight, please wait for the next airplane, then this guy would have looked like a fool.

[RDU-JFK]

It just sucks that he had to be escorted by the police.

[nwafan20]

But c'mon an hour? He used it before takeoff!!! I rarely use the lav even on 2+ hour long flights.

[Midnight Mike]

But c'mon an hour? He used it before takeoff!!! I rarely use the lav even on 2+ hour long flights.

Personally speaking, I don't use the bathroom, hell, I went on a flight from LAX - LHR (Heathrow) without using the LAV, but, if the guy was drinking beer or had a bad prostate, the dude will be going to the bathroom quite often.

[hiss srq]

wow. Thats a hell of a haul to not use the loo on. What did you sleep the whole flight?

[USAF Pilot 07]

Shoulda been carrying a personal piddle paddle...

[stuart schechter]

It sounds like a bladder problem. And I have had two large beers before(Hinney mini-keg) and I didn't have to wizz like a horse.

[USAF Pilot 07]

Indeed, it does sound like a bladder problem... Either this guy knew beforehand that he had this problem, or just waited to expose it on this flight. Either way, sounds like he should have been carrying a piddle paddle with him, especially if he knew he had a problem.... ;)

[Nick]

Shoulda been carrying a personal piddle paddle...

You mean the piddle packs the pilots hand us after they leave? When I worked 16's the pilot would usually take a leak right behind the airplane. Had to make sure to not step in it while launching.

[USAF Pilot 07]

You mean the piddle packs the pilots hand us after they leave? When I worked 16's the pilot would usually take a leak right behind the airplane. Had to make sure to not step in it while launching.

Yea, that's it! Don't know why I was calling it a piddle paddle... sounds catchy though!

[moose135]

When I worked 16's the pilot would usually take a leak right behind the airplane. Had to make sure to not step in it while launching.

Fighter pilots, what do you expect :D