[Anonymous]

[BA4ever]

During my recent fly with BA, from London to Athens, a passenger thought that it was OK to smoke in the lavatory.

Smoke alarm went off, FAs were running up and down, pilot was out of the cockpit and he was fuming (pun intended, LOL) while a very angry announcement informed us that if they get the idiot who did it they would be arrested upon landing and get fined with 10.000 pounds.
Sadly, they didn’t found them…

Now, besides the 150 -or so- no smoking signs all around the plane, besides the fact that everybody knows that flights are non-smoking, besides the fact that it is also announced during the safety procedure, shouldn’t someone know the dangers of smoking in a plane’s loo?

I mean, just the fuss and delay of an emergency landing in case they didn’t manage to put out the cigarette completely, should put them off, no?

Anyway, the detective in me says that it was a Greek male over 50, because I was monitoring the loos right before it happened (I wanted to go) and only two Greek old(ish) men had gotten up and used the loo.

Sad part was that the FAs told me that it is not a rare thing to happen on board… People can be real arses I guess.

[Edski777]

They are just addicts.

[BA4ever]

I’m an addict too. But never thought of lighting one up on board…

[Charles-P]

Had this on a Lufthansa flight in the summer, the man was caught but denied it and said it was his word against theirs. The police were waiting at the door when we landed in Brussels so I assumed he was arrested. The stupidity was the flight was only about 80 minutes – who can’t wait such a short time ?

[Senator]

I’ve had this happen to me several times, and the worst was (not surprisingly) from the cockpit of a brand new B737-800 operated by Turkish Airlines. Last year, on a ARN-IST there was a clear smell of smoke coming from the cockpit. I thought about sending a letter to the airline, but I know they don’t listen.

I have a dog-like-nose for smoking. Woke up in the middle of the night on another Turkish flight from RUH to IST, clearly smelling smoke coming from forward lavatory. Cabin staff merely shrugged.

TAP flight from DKR to LIS: same thing, waking up, hitting the lavatory. In this case, full attention from cabin staff who changed garbage bags, going through the lavatory and calling the captain’s attention. No culprit found.

In the middle of the 90s, an university friend and I was on a United flight from EWR to DEN when he returned from the rear lavatory. He was fairly drunk. Two minutes later, cabin staff came to talk to him as he lighted one in the lavatory. Cheeky bastard then presumed they would serve him more wine..

[Charles-P]

‘Senator’ – having witnessed the relaxed attitude of Turkish Airlines staff to people standing up and getting down luggage while the aircraft has just landed never mind reached the gate I am not surprised to hear of their reaction to smoking. I understand that smoking is still tolerated on Chinese domestic flights as well as Air Koryo which must make for a lovely experience on those old Ilyushin Il-62’s they operate.

[TMConsulting]

As far as Turkish (Airlines) is concerned, I’ve heard from a client who’s flight was delayed (can’t remember why) that, while they were all waiting onboard for a slot to be given, he noticed crew members having smoking at the front (opened) door…

[canucklad]

What don’t help the situation in the air, are our airports……

I’ve never smoked, so haven’t a clue to how smokers must feel when the need to light up over whelms them. Quite a few of my pals are nicotine fiends and will quite happily endure the full force of Scotland’s winter to puff away rather than relax in a nice cosy warm pub….

So I felt for the gentleman I was chatting to in the T1 bar, waiting for his Air New Zealand flight to Auckland. He had already checked in 90 minutes earlier, had to fly to LAX, and then onwards to the south sea’s…. My pals are wrecks of a human being after a 3 hour hop to the Costa’s , so how he coped without his vice, only he knows…… Plus I’m sure at LAX, Californian laws also prohibit smoking inside terminal buildings?

[Charles-P]

I was told today of a story that I hope is true:

When the Irish government introduced the smoking ban there quickly developed a problem where people congregated at the doorways to pubs resulting in a smoke ‘curtain’ at the entrance. Dublin introduced a local by-law that stated smokers must stand no less than 10 metres from the door, the day after this came into effect a Garda constable saw a man leaning against a pub door enjoying his roll-up.
“Oi, yer be moving along there, you must be 10 metres now from the door of the pub”. “I am” he says, pointing across the road to another pub “I’m drinking in that bar”

[Alexthegreat]

Senator, I experienced the same (clear smell of smoke from the cockpit) when flying last month with Somon Air to Dushanbe.

One question I have is why do some brand new aircraft still have ashtrays on the inside of the toilet doors?

[TMConsulting]

Canucklad, I do smoke and… well… I flew the Auckland-LAX-London ONCE… and will never again. I don’t mind a 12-13h flight without smoking… It’s actually quite nice in fact but as soon as we’re off the plane, I rush to the nearest smoking lounge.

BUT, passenger in transit in LAX (on NZ1/2) could not leave the small waiting lounge in the airport building AND every 5-10 minutes a recorded message was played advising that smoking is a serious offense and anyone caught smoking could face a USD 2000.00 fine plus criminal record of some sort… doesn’t help not to smoke when you’re constantly reminded about it.

Needless to say, rather than taking the “transit” bus from T1 to T5 for my connecting flight in LHR, I went through immigration, paid a GBP 15 in taxi fare from T1 to T5… just for a chance to light one up.

[MartynSinclair]

Egypt Air is another airline where a tobacco smell has come from the direction of the flight deck…

[canucklad]

TMconsulting..
My Sunday commute memories have come flooding back, 2 of my travelling colleagues smoked and at that particular time EDI enforced the current strict total ban, whilst LHR didn’t. On arriving randomly at one of T1’s gate 8 doors, my 2 companions would have outsprinted Mr Bolt to the Belfast Lounge…. In other words , the little Perspex box at Gate 2 , ……Beagles wouldn’t have looked out of place. … : )

Charles-P
Love the Irish story, and in actual fact, Ireland has taken a far more pragmatic approach to managing the smoking legislation. A perfect example of this is the location of the airport bar in T1. No surprise that you can avail yourself of a puff, by simply using the terrace !!
It’s surely not beyond the wits of other airports to do the same thing ?

[LuganoPirate]

Great one Charles, made me laugh.

I raised the question in another post of the ashtrays in the bathroom door of LH’s new 380’s. I’m not sure what the overall opinion of other posters was to that.

I think though, that hardened smokers use nicotine patches or gum to help them. Personally, I enjoy a good cigar but can easily go a day or even a week without one. I recommend them as an alternative to cigarettes, but remember not to inhale!

[Author]

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