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Passengers keep indulging in this nasty plane bathroom behavior — here's why airlines are afraid to call out the icky offenders

Passengers keep indulging in this nasty plane bathroom behavior — here's why airlines are afraid to call out the icky offenders

Yahooa day ago
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience.
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience.
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Generate Key Takeaways
Airplane etiquette is going down the potty — but there's one particularly stinky behavior that airlines are hesitant to call out.
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.
'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.
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.'
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.
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Bernstein raised the Firm's PT on Sabre Corporation (SABR), Kept a Market Perform Rating
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Bernstein raised the Firm's PT on Sabre Corporation (SABR), Kept a Market Perform Rating

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I've Road-Tripped with Kids for 15 Years—Here's the Gear That Keeps Us Sane
I've Road-Tripped with Kids for 15 Years—Here's the Gear That Keeps Us Sane

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time2 hours ago

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I've Road-Tripped with Kids for 15 Years—Here's the Gear That Keeps Us Sane

"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." Whether it's a few hours to Grandma's house or a multi-day summer vacation, taking the kids on road trips is a rite of passage for parents. Doing it right, however, requires practice and preparation. As a father of two and an avid gearhead, I've learned some important lessons over the years about both. Like most parental activities, successfully roadtripping with kids means being ready for anything. From hangry tantrums to bathroom accidents, parents have to plan for the worst while hoping for the best. It's the only way to stay sane. Load up the car with some of the gear below before your next family road trip, and you and the kids will arrive at your destination on time, happy, and Trip Essentials for Babies and Toddlers Traveling with babies and toddlers in the car demands planning and patience. Short attention spans require constant stimuli, and necessities such as diapers, baby food, and bottles present a whole host of challenges. Here's what you need to keep your youngest passengers happy and content for hours in the back Window Shades Sleep and comfort in the car are simpler when the sun's not beating down, so pick up this four-pack of window shades and keep your child content. $11.99 at Blanket and Pillow Set A happy kid is a quiet, contented kid—the key to a successful road trip. Children need to be comfortable on long drives, and this blanket and travel set comes as a pink unicorn, a blue dinosaur, or an orange and white fox. It's made of soft, plush flannel, and the blanket can be folded up inside the pillowcase for easy travel. $29.99 at Organizers When your child has what they need within easy reach, road trips are easier for everyone else in the car. 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GBTA Foundation Assists And Empowers Women In Hospitality
GBTA Foundation Assists And Empowers Women In Hospitality

Forbes

time6 hours ago

  • Forbes

GBTA Foundation Assists And Empowers Women In Hospitality

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These types of programs offer that same spark to thousands of women. In hospitality, where women often dominate customer-facing and operational roles, we need to ensure leadership development happens early and consistently—not only once someone is already progressing within their career path, but well before that. Otherwise, we risk losing highly capable women at the exact point they're ready to lead. This dynamic is one of several that informed the creation of GBTA WINiT's Path to Parity—a 10-year plan to achieve 50/50 gender representation in leadership roles across the business travel industry by 2035. The initiative draws on mentorship, research, community engagement and allyship to address the gender gap with clear targets and sustained momentum. It's a coordinated effort to develop women leaders personally but also systematically, globally and measurably. CEO Panel from the WINiT Summit 2024. GBTA How can women break through the "glass ceiling" within the industry? Breaking through comes down to three things: visibility, advocacy and readiness. Women are doing the work, but the challenge is making sure they're seen, supported and considered for the roles they've earned. Mentorship is the first step, but sponsorship is the game-changer. Mentors offer guidance and perspective; sponsors use their influence. When a sponsor says in a meeting, 'She's ready for this role,' that changes everything. It positions women not just as capable, but as top-of-mind for critical opportunities. These relationships often shift careers. Visibility matters just as much. One of the reasons we host our annual WINiT Summit and Gala , where we honor the Top 50 Women in Travel and Pinnacle Awards, is to ignite industry dialogue, promote learning and empowerment and highlight the impact women are making in this industry. These events and recognitions open doors to serving on boards, panels, advisory roles and promotions. We've heard directly from past honorees: their visibility at the Summit and through these awards have unequivocally led to career advancement. We also need to examine the cultures within our companies. For years, many women advanced by adapting to male-dominated leadership models and behaviors. But that's changing. Today's workforce values empathy, adaptability and authenticity—traits women have long brought to leadership but weren't always encouraged to use. We're now in an environment where those qualities are not only accepted but expected. I'll never forget a moment during one of our WINiT summits: a male ally in one of our sessions shared how attending had changed his perspective. It was the first time he'd been in a professional setting where he was in the gender minority. It shifted how he saw inclusion, and that awareness shaped how he led, ran meetings and created safe spaces for others to be seen. The saying 'it takes a village' really is true here: women don't break the ceiling alone—they do it with networks, champions and organizations that are truly committed to equity. Participants were prompted to identify their 'superpower.' GBTA How does WINiT specifically help women advance in their careers? WINiT supports women through mentorship, leadership development, global community-building, and recognition. These programs are designed to scale and deliver impact. Today, we support more than 2,000 active mentees and train over 1,000 women each year through our leadership offerings. This endeavor is core to our work, designed to reach women at various points in their careers, and has grown significantly in the last three years. Our mentorship model puts the mentee in the driver's seat. They set their own goals, manage the relationship, and guide the pace. That ownership builds confidence and reinforces core leadership behaviors. It also prepares them for the real-world dynamics of managing up and navigating influence. We've expanded our reach globally, with WINiT members in Canada, Mexico, Europe, and across the Asia Pacific region. Regardless of geography, the need is consistent: women want connection, coaching, and community. And through WINiT, they find all three. Recognition is another critical lever. Through our annual awards programs, we elevate voices that deserve to be seen and celebrated. These stories inspire others while putting high-potential women on the radar of industry leaders and decision-makers. We also work with organizations to embed equity at the system level. We encourage alignment with frameworks like the UN Women's Empowerment Principles , and we're seeing uptake. Some of the largest companies in travel are now signatories, aligning their internal strategies with the global movement we're driving. A Superpower Exchange Session at WINiT Summit 2024. GBTA What skills can be taught through these programs? Our programs focus on strategic leadership, effective communication and personal growth, the core skill sets that set strong leaders apart. They're often called 'soft skills,' but we treat them as essential to executive readiness. One of the most requested topics is personal branding. Women want to refine how they show up, communicate their value, and advocate for leadership roles. These aren't vanity exercises. They're central to visibility and influence, two things every leader needs. Resilience is another major theme. In a recent session, we broke down resilience into traits like confidence and composure and discussed how to build those deliberately over time. Communication is foundational. In hospitality, you're constantly navigating multiple stakeholders: clients, internal teams, leadership and vendors. We train women to tailor messaging, negotiate, and influence across all those groups with clarity and confidence. We also emphasize leadership habits: how to effectively delegate, how to prioritize with limited time, how to set strategic goals. And perhaps most importantly, we make space for meaningful connections. Community isn't just a bonus—it's a leadership behavior. One of our panelists put it best at a recent summit: when she's overwhelmed, she doesn't power through alone. She reconnects with people who give her energy and perspective. That's strategic, not soft. We've also expanded into emerging areas—adaptive leadership, managing burnout, and leading through change. These are the tools leaders need right now, not just in theory, but in practice. Event hosts Patricia Huska, Shawn Cole and Laura Smith. GBTA How can these programs address the gender gap? They do it by targeting the critical inflection point where the gender gap becomes most visible: the transition from director to executive roles. Anecdotally and through our research, we've seen that the industry workforce isn't missing women, but the executive suite is. Our Path to Parity strategy addresses this systematically. It's built around five key focus areas: inspire change, shape future leaders, engage every level, motivate change, and recognize achievement. Each one has a roadmap and a metric. We've made real progress already. We now train over 1,000 women annually, support a growing base of 2,000 mentees, and engage a global community of more than 10,000 professionals. Those numbers aren't just markers of growth; they represent a shift in what's possible. Our recent How Women are Shaping the Future of Business Travel survey of over 600 global business professionals found that even though women are well-represented in mid-management roles, there are still significant gender disparities at the most senior executive levels. This indicates there is still room for significant improvement as the impact of women in the industry continues to evolve. Recognition also plays a role in steering corporate engagement. Celebrating women who make our industry better shines a spotlight on their achievements that lead to new opportunities, board seats, and decision-making influence. And representation, as we know, creates a multiplier effect. When women see others lead, they believe they can too. We also push for accountability at the company level. Through the UN Women's Empowerment Principles, we're helping organizations make public, measurable commitments. The gender gap won't close with good intentions alone. It takes programs that address real barriers, use real data, and operate at scale. It takes companies willing to commit. And it takes leadership from across the business travel ecosystem—individuals, teams, and institutions—working together over time. This is a long-term movement, and we're building it to last. MORE FROM FORBES Forbes How To Best Experience The Great American Road Trip By Roger Sands Forbes The Uber-Rich Are Flocking To This Small Mountain Town By Roger Sands

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