
Passengers keep indulging in this nasty plane bathroom behavior — here's why airlines are afraid to call out the icky offenders
A veteran flight attendant claims that carriers are declining to educate unfamiliar passengers on how to use Western-style toilets — over concerns they'll take offense.
The confounding concession to cultural sensitivity means things can get pretty messy at 30,000 feet, according to Marcus Daniels, who retired in 2019 after working the friendly skies for over five years in Australia and the Middle East.
3 'All of us are trying to be accepting of all cultures,' said Daniels. 'However, there needs to be some kind of video or visual guide about using and keeping the toilets clean.'
Yurii Zushchyk – stock.adobe.com
'Passengers will defecate on the floor and you just do your best to smile and not say anything,' the inflight insider told the Daily Mail. 'You get used to it after a while and can start mentally preparing yourself for those flights.'
In fact, the crew member said he could recall dozens of stories of airplane 'accidents,' the lion's share of which occur in developing countries, where many aren't privy to the doo's and doo not do's of modern lavatory use.
'As cabin crew, you notice it happens on specific flights to specific destinations,' said Daniels. 'We'll chat and find other crew picked up on the trend too.'
And while he declined to specify the routes where this issue is most common, he said it's 'not really a problem in first-world countries because we know how to use western toilets.'
According to Mobility International USA, four billion people worldwide use squat pots, which require the goer to hunker down over a hole in the ground — and use a bucket or hose for heinie hygiene in lieu of TP.
3 Crew members have noticed the trend is concentrated in certain regions.
Krakenimages.com – stock.adobe.com
Meanwhile, a whopping 420 million of earth's inhabitants still defecate in the street, per a World Bank Blog from 2023.
This can pose problems when nature calls high above certain parts of the world.
'On these routes, we're having to constantly check the toilets to make sure they're clean and the toilet rolls aren't stuffed down the bin,' lamented Daniels. 'On one flight I had a passenger who kept peeing on the floor. I tried to show her how to use the toilet, and she would nod and agree, then do it again.'
3 Billions of people still use squat toilets (pictured).
zirong – stock.adobe.com
He added that things got so unsanitary on one trip that he 'had to lock off the toilet for the rest of the flight.'
Daniels chalked up the inability to master the game of thrones to a lack of 'education,' declaring, 'If they knew how to use the toilets, they would.'
'Most of the confused passengers don't speak English as their first language so we can't really explain how to use the toilet,' the former FA lamented. 'It would be great if there were visual guides showing how to use the toilet properly, rather than just guides for flushing.'
Despite the abundance of inflight brownouts, this change likely isn't in the pipeline, per Daniels.
'Airlines are very particular about how they communicate with customers because they don't want to offend anyone,' the ex-crewmember claimed. 'All of us are trying to be accepting of all cultures. However, there needs to be some kind of video or visual guide about using and keeping the toilets clean.'
He added, 'It would be a dream come true. I have friends who are still working these routes and, nine years later, it's still an issue.'
A lack of bathroom etiquette isn't just revolting — a catastrophic trip to the lavatory can also jeopardize flights as well.
In March, Air India implored passengers to use the lavatories for their intended purpose after passengers clogged airplane toilets with clothing, diverting an international flight.
A so-called lavatory backup might seem trivial, but just one clogged toilet can prompt the pilots ground a flight due to the limited number of facilities in the air.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


USA Today
26 minutes ago
- USA Today
Looking to hike in Europe? Why a guided tour is the way to go
While all travel involves at least some walking, on a hiking trip the payoff is twofold — it's both the journey and the destination. With boots on the ground, you hike along a town's paths, streets and trails, gaining a sense of its history while rubbing elbows with locals who lend contemporary context. Organizing a trip can be stressful — where to stay, what to visit, where to eat — and it's even more difficult if you want to explore the back roads of a foreign country. As a hiker, researching trails and routes online is no match for local knowledge. A guided hiking vacation fills that gap with experts who go well beyond simply making sure you don't get lost. The guides on European hiking adventures know the routes, handle moving between hotels and restaurants, speak the local language along with English and ensure you leave with a better understanding of the itinerary's sites and vistas. If the idea of touring on foot triggers field trip flashbacks or seeing a horde of adults following a raised flag around a city, European hiking tour operators usually situate you in independent, smaller hotels and inns, tucked away from the touristy parts of town. Laura Witherspoon and her husband, David Head, of Chattanooga, Tenn., recently returned from their eighth hiking trip, this one to France's Normandy region. She sees the value of having a guide and a team behind them arranging the itinerary and the logistics of the adventure. Country Walkers, the Williston, Vt.-based operator the couple used, 'makes it so easy for you to just show up, but the hotels and inns you stay at are not places you likely would have discovered yourself because they're out of the way,' Witherspoon says. Guided hiking tours can range from mild exercise to a strenuous workout — in either case, you'll earn that extra wine or dessert with dinner — but that's all you have to focus on because nearly every other detail is planned for you. Once booked, you can focus on finding perfectly fitting hiking boots and look forward to enjoying the vistas, which will feel sweeter because you worked a bit harder for them. From Portugal's coast to Scandinavia's northern lights, you can find hiking tours from providers such as Country Walkers, Exodus, Backroads, Trek Travel and Explore Worldwide to just about any part of Europe. The difficulty of the hiking is as varied as the locations, with some tours designed for those who can walk about five miles throughout the day to more strenuous routes on technical trails that can have you trekking more than 15 miles daily with elevation gains of up to 4,000 feet — after you've provided proof of medevac insurance. There are tours for nearly every fitness level, but some operators are better suited to travelers who might want to opt out of hiking for an afternoon of less-intensive experiences. 'This one afternoon we went on a hike to a waterfall,' Donna Neidert of Lakewood Ranch, Fla., says of her Explore Worldwide trip to the Amalfi Coast. 'The guide knew exactly where we were going, because we went off the beaten path, and we sat in a field and ate our lunch.' The guides, who are sometimes native to the tour region, are the backbone of this kind of travel experience. Guides handle the basics of keeping hikers safe and on schedule, but, in the end, they realize this is your vacation. European hiking tours range from about a week to more than 20 days, depending on how ambitious the route is. A tour through Ireland's County Clare, Killarney, and Dingle might be a week long with up to eight miles per day of hiking, while the Tour du Mont Blanc, looping through Italy, France, and Switzerland, requires 10 days while logging up to 12 miles daily. Tours can happen almost any time of the year outside of the depth of winter, though many operators tend to skip the peak heat of July and August unless the route is at higher, cooler mountain elevations. Group size typically ranges from 10 to 20 hikers; normally, the tougher the route the smaller the group. Smaller groups might have one guide, while larger ones or routes that are more challenging might have two. While couples make up a large portion of the hikers, you can find solo travelers weaved in, along with friends, families with young children or teenagers, and multi-generational groups. Browsing providers' websites should be your first stop. Pay attention to factors such as the cost, dates and number of days of a particular tour, along with details about the level of hiking. Pricing always includes lodging and most, but not all, meals, including beer and wine, fees to enter venues like parks or preserves and the guide's services for the duration of the trip. Some providers will include airfare in the price, but usually you're left to book round-trip flights. Some hikers prefer to arrive a couple of days early — especially ahead of longer tours or those at higher elevations — to get acclimated. Or they tack on a few extra days at the end. Calgary, Alberta, native and avid hiker Bev Stevenson did just that after an Exodus tour through the Dolomites in northern Italy, heading to Majorca, Spain. 'I made all my arrangements and visited Barcelona, which is kind of a jumping-off point for Majorca, and went up the coast and back down,' she says. All tour providers offer a detailed online itinerary of what sites and vistas you'll see and what you'll do that might not be hiking-related — like visiting a winery in France or taking a pasta-making lesson on an Italian farm. Expect to see a daily breakdown that includes how many miles you'll walk, the elevation, and where the tour might use a private bus to speed things along. A typical tour day starts with breakfast at the hotel followed by a morning hike, lunch and an afternoon hike. Then it's back to your room to freshen up before dinner. Days can be broken up with stops in town for shopping or gelato tasting, and guides lend those experiences local character. Because they're familiar with the routes, they can help steer you to a restaurant for those nights when you're not eating with the group. 'We were on Playa el Castelle (in Spain) and saw someone using a purrón,' a traditional Spanish wine pitcher, says San Francisco-based content strategist Courtney Muro, recalling a Backroads trip. 'We wanted to try it but didn't know how, so the guides got a hold of one, filled it with wine, and we spent an hour pouring it into our mouth, trying to get it as far from our mouths as possible while still hitting the mark. The Spanish people were laughing at us, and it was a great time.' Since everyone on the tour has hiking in common, it's not unusual to form friendships that lead to other trips together. 'Four people I met in Majorca are coming here to hike the Rockies with me,' Stevenson says. While each brand offers a way to gauge how difficult the trip will be — typically a system of numbers and description, like grading a hike in the Dolomites as a level 3, moderate — the fitness level varies depending on the provider. 'Most of the trips we've been on are easy to moderate hiking,' Witherspoon says. Some trekkers look at the ratings and feel emboldened to take on the challenge, with the comfort of knowing that if you need extra time, the guides are there to lend a hand. 'Dolomites was irresistible,' says Cathy Dillard of Asheville, N.C. 'When I read the trip description and saw the energy index, I thought, 'I can do this,' though the elevation added an extra challenge at times. But if I needed a breather, I would simply pause, soak in the stunning scenery, and then continue.'


CNBC
a day ago
- CNBC
I'm a travel expert who has visited 70 countries—these 7 phrases make you sound like ‘an obnoxious American'
I know what it's like to have inconsiderate houseguests — the kind where you can't wait for them to leave. I don't ever want to be that person when I'm in another country. I've been traveling almost as long as I've been alive. I've made it to all seven continents, 70 countries, and 47 U.S. states. Along the way, I've learned how much what we say and how we say it matters, especially when navigating different cultures. For example, words like "conquer," "explore," and "discover" have colonial undertones that may not be welcome in countries still recovering from the impacts of colonization. Calling a place "unspoiled" can erase its indigenous history. The last thing I want when I'm abroad is to be labeled an obnoxious American. As a professional traveler, I've learned through experience the best way to avoid that is by not saying things that can come off as rude, offensive, or ignorant. Here are 7 phrases I'd never say that Americans traveling abroad often use: I can't tell you the number of times I've seen an American whip out their dollar bills at a foreign market only to be met by a shopkeeper's blank stare. The U.S. dollar isn't the only currency in the world. Acting like it is — or demanding locals tell you how much something costs in dollars or "real money" — can make you look clueless and self-centered. Look up a country's currency before you visit, and use a currency conversion app to keep track of your spending. You may as well walk around wearing a sweatshirt that says "entitled and privileged." There are many reasons other countries may be more affordable than where you're from, and they often involve violence, exploitation, and systems designed to perpetuate global inequality. Canada has provinces. Singapore and Monaco are city-states that aren't divided into smaller sections. Asking what state a person is from outside of the U.S. is a quick way to show you haven't researched your destination or can't respect that things are different elsewhere. When you go to a foreign country seeking out corporate chains, you're missing out on an opportunity to try something new and to support local businesses. I could have gotten Starbucks on a trip to Athens a few years ago, but then I wouldn't have had a chance to taste incredible Greek coffee and visit several cute cafes I hope to get back to one day. On another trip to Mexico City, I stop at Starbucks — the closest coffee shop to my hotel and a place where I knew for sure I could get a cold brew on a hot day. I got so much side eye from my friends and so many questions about why I didn't opt for better coffee while supporting the local economy. Next time, I'll remember my own advice. English is the most commonly spoken language in the world, with an estimated 1.5 billion speakers around the globe. It's an official or widely spoken language in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Ireland, Malta, Singapore, India, Pakistan, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, and several Caribbean islands and African countries. It should never come as a surprise to encounter someone who has impeccable English in a predominantly English-speaking country. Yet, I've lost track of the number of times people have said that to me in the U.S. and shudder to hear it when I'm traveling. Calling a country — especially one you're visiting — a "third-world" country can come off as judgmental. Instead, I use "developing country," a phrase that doesn't carry the same connotations. It just doesn't feel right to judge a place whose people I hope will welcome me. I was once invited to a tasting menu dinner at a Michelin-star restaurant not far from Paris. After the second or third course, an American at our table interrupted the meal to request a green salad like he normally eats at home. I've never seen such a mortified waiter, and I don't think the chef ever complied with the request. One of the best things about travel is that it exposes you to new ways of thinking and doing things. Focusing on how it's done at home can blunt the transformative impact. Visiting countries all over the world has opened my eyes to so many different ways of living — and that's exactly the life-changing perspective that makes me so excited to book my next trip.


Tom's Guide
a day ago
- Tom's Guide
How to watch Stage 21 of Tour de France 2025 on a *FREE* channel
You can watch Stage 21 of the Tour de France 2025 live on ITVX, streaming for free on Sunday, 27 July. The stream includes English commentary as Tadej Pogacar takes in the adulation after winning his fourth Yellow Jersey. The Slovenian has been in unrelenting form across the three weeks, picking up four stage wins and winning the general classification by 4 minutes and 24 seconds. However, the 50th anniversary of the Tour's first finish at the Champs-Élysées will be one for the sprinters as well. Tim Merlier, Arnauld de Lie and Green Jersey winner, Jonathan Milan will likely all go head-to-head to win a dream you access ITV in the U.S. and Canada? Read on and we'll show you how to watch Tour de France 2025 live streams from anywhere with a VPN for FREE. Cycling fans in the U.K. can watch Stage 21 of the 2025 Tour de France live for FREE on ITVX via the ITV4 channel. ITV4 is a free-to-air channel in the UK, though it requires a TV licence and a UK postcode (e.g. SE1 7PB) to watch content live on ITVX. Traveling abroad during July? Use NordVPN or another VPN service to trick your device into thinking you're still in the U.K.. We have watched ITV's coverage of the 2025 Tour de France continuously and the streaming quality was brilliant. Although ITV is only available to British residents, those who are from the U.K. but visiting the likes of the U.S. and Canada can stream it through the use of VPN (Virtual Private Network). The software sets your devices to appear to be back in your home country regardless of where in the world you are. So, it's ideal for sports fans away on vacation or on business. Our favorite is NordVPN. It's the best on the market: NordVPN deal: FREE $50 / £50 Amazon gift card Boasting lightning fast speeds, great features, streaming power, and class-leading security, NordVPN is our #1 VPN. ✅ FREE Amazon gift card worth up to $50/£50✅ 4 months extra FREE!✅ 76% off usual price Use Nord to unblock ITVX and watch Tour de France live online with our exclusive deal. It is really easy to watch, here's how. Using a VPN is incredibly simple. 1. Install the VPN of your choice. As we've said, NordVPN is our favorite. 2. Choose the location you wish to connect to in the VPN app. For instance if you're in the U.S. and want to view a U.K. service, you'd select United Kingdom from the list. 3. Sit back and enjoy the action. Head to ITVX or another streaming service and watch the action. ITV show coverage of Stage 21 starting from 3 P.M. BST (10 A.M. ET) Pundits include Ned Boulting and David Millar to give you all the insight you need on the action. Highlights are also provided during the evening and the long-serving Gary Imlach will be your host for the hour long show from 10:05 P.M. BST. Remember. Use NordVPN if you're outside the U.K. on vacation. We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example: 1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service). 2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad. We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.