American Airlines Passenger Spends Flight Grinding Dead Skin Off Her Feet — Flight Attendant Just Shrugs

A woman at the window seat in economy on an American Airlines Airbus A319 took off her shoes and is barefoot, with legs tucked up sideways. She pulled out a foot sander/callus grinder and spent about 30 minutes grinding dead skin off her feet, creating visible “foot dust” in the air and on the floor.

She had already spilled coffee on her seatmate earlier in the flight. He told flight attendants about what she was doing, and says they “shrugged their shoulders” at the DIY pedicure – so he stood for the rest of the flight instead of sitting next to her.

This is disgusting: “repulsive,” “vile,” “biohazard,” “farm animal,” “sociopath,” “Bad Place” in the words of commenters on social media. It should have been shut down. Honestly, what’s the value of a flight attendant other than in outlier emergency landings if not to address this? Because allowing this to continue creates unsafe conditions. Most seatmates wouldn’t just excuse themselves and stand for the flight. It could have ended in a fight and diversion.

I’m at a loss for words..
byu/FourPointsTet inmildlyinfuriating

The one thing I really had hoped would last coming out of the pandemic was elevated cleanliness, but it really didn’t. I’ve suggested the problem with going barefoot is the bathroom. But this is even worse – if you’re going to do this, at least do it in the lavatory? (Not that it would be ok.)

We’ve seen passengers clip their nails inflight (and flick them onto the passenger next to them), paint their toenails onboard, go go shirtless and even strip naked and rub the crew. This goes at the very top of that list.

An airline can refuse transport or remove a passenger if the person is barefoot or wearing attire, hygiene, or odor that creates an unreasonable risk of offense or annoyance to others. Here we need a ban, and law enforcement meeting the flight on arrival.