Woman confronts parents who were changing diapers on airplane seat: 'People eat on those trays'

Everyone knows it is quite stressful for parents to take an infant while traveling, whether on a flight or train. The altitude changes and other factors can often cause discomfort for the child, leading to fussiness and crying. Additionally, fellow passengers may become frustrated or annoyed if the baby is excessively crying throughout the journey. A woman—who goes by u/No_Cartographer8186 on Reddit— recently asked if she was wrong to ask a couple to change their baby's diaper in the bathroom instead of the middle of the plane and people defended her.

She wrote, "I (28F) was on a flight for several hours today, seated behind a couple with a baby. I’m a really nauseous flyer, so I took a Dramamine ahead of time and did my best to get some sleep during the flight. This didn’t happen because of the baby’s crying, but oh well, I know flights are scary and stressful for infants and there was nothing anyone could do about that."

What concerned her was the fact that the couple chose to change their baby's unpleasant-smelling diaper right in the midst of their seats, utilizing a food tray as an impromptu changing surface. "We were at the back of the plane right by the bathrooms, which I confirmed had baby changing tables when I had to go back there to throw up after the smell hit me," wrote the Reddit user.

The woman kept her calm when this happened the first time, but when the second time she heard them take out another diaper bag a couple of hours later, she decided to talk to them. "I asked if they could please go use the plane bathroom instead of exposing everyone on the plane to the smell," she explained.

"The mom went off on me and said I had no idea how stressful it is to travel with an infant, which is true—I don’t have kids," the woman acknowledged. However, the flight attendant agreed with her and asked the couple to use the bathrooms to change their diapers.

Moreover, a few minutes later, the pilot also announced that diaper changes needed to be done in the bathrooms, after which both parents looked extremely annoyed. She asked the users on Reddit if she was wrong to ask the couple to stop changing in the middle of the plane and inadvertently bringing it to the attention of the flight crew.

All Reddit users seem to agree with the woman's complaint and her consequent actions. u/sbinjax commented, "There are changing tables in the bathrooms. That's what they are for. Also, thank God the maintenance crews disinfect between flights. The thought of eating/drinking off a tray table used as a changing table makes me want to hurl."

u/WickedAngelLove wrote, "NTA. The flight attendant and the pilot agreed with you and made announcements to verify that what they did was gross. People eat on those trays and while I know they are supposed to clean them between flights, let's be honest, sometimes they might be missed." u/Ok_Register3005 expressed, "What they were doing was disgusting."

While it is widely recognized that traveling with infants can be highly demanding, it is crucial to maintain consideration for the hygiene and well-being of fellow passengers. Ensuring a clean and healthy environment should be a priority, even in challenging circumstances.