Who should clean up after children on airplanes: flight attendants respond

Recently, the internet was stirred by the story of a user who complained that his pregnant wife had to clean up after the children on the plane after they scattered popcorn.

Anthony Bass, a passenger from the Toronto Blue Jays, posted a photo online showing a lot of popcorn on the floor of the plane where his children were sitting. "A [United Airlines] flight attendant just made my wife, 22 weeks pregnant and traveling with a 5-year-old and 2-year-old, get down on her knees to pick up popcorn on the floor. Are you kidding me?" he complained.

At the same time, users reacted to his message quite differently. Some took the side of the pregnant woman and were outraged by the flight attendant's behavior, but others noted that the stewardess was doing her job, and that the mess on board could pose a threat to the safety of other passengers.

So, the question arose as to who, according to the rules, should clean up after children on airplanes. The Huffington Post took it upon itself to clarify the situation.

What are the responsibilities of a flight attendant?

A flight attendant's top priority is to get passengers to their destination healthy and unharmed. However, they also have some other responsibilities to ensure a safe and comfortable flight.

"The official duties of a flight attendant include, but are not limited to, checking safety and equipment before boarding, providing security and hospitality during boarding, maintaining cabin security during the flight, providing snacks and drinks, and disembarking the aircraft, which includes cleaning when all passengers have left the aircraft," said a flight attendant who has worked on domestic flights for the past two months and asked to remain anonymous for privacy reasons.

Who is responsible for cleaning the plane?

Although end-of-flight cleaning is part of a flight attendant's job description, does this mean that passengers should leave a big mess behind? Compare it to a fast-food restaurant - do you leave the trash on the table or throw it away?

Most people would probably say that they clean up after themselves in public places, but unfortunately, this often doesn't apply to your kids' crushed cookies in the airplane cabin.

Most flight attendants don't expect parents to clean up every trace of their children's presence in the cabin - that's what cleaning crews are for. But anything you can do to reduce the mess is extremely helpful, they say, especially when there is usually less than 10 minutes between flights to clean the plane.

Some passengers do clean up after themselves

The flight attendants who spoke to the publication noted that while many parents leave a mess after the flight, there are those who are hesitant to clean up after themselves. Such help is really appreciated by the staff.

"It's perfectly understandable that parents might leave a cracker on the floor after a flight; we just ask that parents do their best to make sure the plane is a safe, clean, and comfortable environment for all passengers," said a flight attendant working on domestic flights.