Bad Passengers: Here Are The Types Of People You Never Want To Sit Next To On A Plane

By: Lilli Keeve | Published: Dec 06, 2022

Traveling is already a taxing and anxiety-inducing experience in and of itself, but add on top of that annoying passengers. It’s even worse when you get placed to sit next to these people. While traveling is stressful enough, when bad passengers are added into the mix, it’s surely a recipe for a perfect storm. Most of the time, there’s nothing that can be done about it except grit your teeth and bear it!

Just Some Classic Monkey Behavior

Most flights do allow pets on board, yet they just need to be accounted for (and watched over closely). This is primarily for emotional support animals, so it’s not an uncommon thing. Hopefully, these animals behave properly, but that’s not always the case. 

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So, imagine you’re just casually sitting on a plane and all of a sudden you see a monkey pop up. In pants, too. That guy is playing around with the overhead lights. Seriously though, where would you be taking a monkey? Maybe he just wanted a banana or peanuts or something. 

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Eye Mask Or Regular Mask?

During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic (and, in some cases, still today), passengers are required to wear masks over their mouths. This safety precaution is in place to reduce the risk of the virus’ transmission. So, if you need some rest for the long flight ahead and if you don’t have anything to cover your eyes from the blinding window light, what do you do?

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Use just a regular mask, of course! Hey, it perfectly functions as an eye mask, but this guy clearly doesn’t care about the mandate that was enforced on the plane. He could have just asked for a mask because the airline should carry them just in case. This guy is the literal definition of: “I don’t care!”

Cleanliness Is King…But Not On This Plane

Airplane lavatories bring out the worst in people, it seems. There are people who hate being claustrophobic and confined in small spaces, but what are they supposed to do if they have to go? Well, they have to just brave the horror that is the airplane lavatory. The worst is when there’s no more toilet paper left and you’re just awkwardly in there like: “What am I supposed to do?” 

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Sometimes it’s not too bad and other times it’s a germaphobe’s nightmare. This lavatory, for example, was absolutely trashed. Jeez, are people really this sloppy and careless? Guess so! Or, wait…was it the monkey? 

Sometimes A D.I.Y. Hammock Is The Move

If you’re flying in the coach cabin on a plane, there’s usually not much legroom. If you’re a tall person, then this is especially sucky. Where are you supposed to put your legs? How are you supposed to move? You don’t. Sometimes, people wait until the seatbelt sign is disabled so they can get up and walk around. And then there’s this person…

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Actually, they have a pretty good thing going on here. The downside of this D.I.Y. hammock though is that it’s right in the way of an emergency exit, which is not smart. A flight attendant won’t be able to access the door if they need to, thus posing a massive safety risk. 

Killing Time While Doing Plane Tattoos

People entertain themselves on planes in different ways. Some people read books, do crosswords, watch movies or TV shows, and others open up a tattoo shop right from their seat. Hey, whatever floats your boat!

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This guy in the photo obviously has something else in mind than the usual plane entertainment fare. In fact, he’s drawing some clean lines on his friend’s hand. Is he doing a stick and poke tattoo? We’re impressed with what he was able to complete before the plane landed.

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Sometimes You Just Gotta Lay Down…On The Floor

During super long flights, some passengers just have to be creative with how they can stretch out and get some shut eye. Let’s face it – the lack of legroom and the seats can make your entire body comfortable. Although the seats come with a reclining feature, sometimes you don’t want to annoy the person behind you so you suffer in silence, or be like this guy. 

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He’s got it all figured out! As long as the seatbelt sign wasn’t on, we guess this is okay. But, there’s also nobody sitting behind him. We just have to question people’s actions, at times. 

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Personal Makeup Artist At Your Service

There are times when as soon as you land, you have to immediately go to an event. So, that means you’ll have to get ready on the plane, which can be quite tricky – not if you have a friend to help (put on fake lashes, that is). 

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These two girls are obviously going somewhere important and could only do their makeup during the flight. Most of the time, people bring a pair of clothes to change into in the lavatory, and, other times, fake eyelash installation requires the assistance of a trusty friend. After all, that’s what besties are for! 

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Wake Me Up…For Food And Drinks

When you’re exhausted, you often miss out on the snack and drink cart that rolls by. In that case, the flight attendant will usually skip you because they don’t want to interrupt your peaceful sleep. The only downside to this is that you’ll miss out on the food and will be hungry when you wake up! 

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We love when people get creative (like this lady). It’s really a genius idea to create a little sign that indicates you need to be woken up when the flight attendant comes by so you can have your snacks and drinks. Maybe she could have placed the tag in a different spot instead of on her neck pillow.

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D.I.Y. Sock Dryer

We’re curious as to what happened with this man that he needed to dry his socks out. Actually, we don’t even want to know! Using the sun’s natural warming ability is pretty clever, but also, we’re pretty sure that people wouldn’t want to see his crusty socks hanging up. 

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Most flights will probably lend you socks if you ask for them, so we don’t understand why this man still had to hang his gross socks on the window. He’s lucky it was daylight outside, because what else would have happened, otherwise? 

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If Spider-Man Was A Kid

Children are already a handful to take care of and, often, challenging to control. We’ve all seen kids throwing tantrums and full-on screaming at airports, but this sight is quite unique. We are not sure what this kid was doing, but, more importantly, where are his parents?

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This kid is climbing up an airport beam like he is straight up a mini Spider-Man. That’s cool and all, but we’re concerned about if he falls. There’s nothing to hang on to, so he must possess some impressive upper body strength.

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A Sneaky Airplane Food Thief

While airplane food is fairly substandard, there are moments when you find yourself eating more after you’ve finished. The meals typically consist of an appetizer, a main meal, and dessert, but that’s just not enough at times! So, what do you resort to when you’re done with your meal? 

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Thievery, of course. While it would be the right thing to flag an attendant down and ask them for some more snacks or, if they’re feeling generous, another warm meal, but that’s not always the case. This snack thief needed some more fruit and that’s exactly what he did. It’s better to do that than let it go to waste. 

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Foot Masseuse At Your Service

On long flights, foot cramps are inevitable. Most times, all you need is a solid foot stretch here and there, but there are moments when you wish you had your own foot masseuse. Well, this guy sure got lucky!

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We’re assuming the woman in front of that man is his wife or related to him in some way. At least, we would hope that’s the case. And, if it’s not, what person in their right minds would give a random stranger a foot massage? Ew.

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Being Too Lazy Is Definitely A Thing

This photo is the primary reason why you should always carry antibacterial wipes with you when you’re traveling. You never know what body part was touching the screen in front of you and when was the last time they showered or washed their hands. In this instance, the person was too lazy to use their hands, and resorted to using their toes as a scrolling tool. 

Source: passengershaming/ Instagram

Since this person can afford a plane ticket, they shouldn’t act as if the plane is their home. We shudder looking at this image because it’s down right gross and inconsiderate! It’s really upsetting and we couldn’t imagine what the person next to them was feeling. 

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There’s A Nail Technician On Board And She’s In Business

We’re sure you can recall those girls who were doing their makeup and fake lash installation on the plane, right? And the guy doing a stick and poke on his friend? This lady seems like she belongs in that same group – she is doing her own nails, after all.

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She’s applying press-on gel nails as if she was in her own bathroom! Maybe she also had an event to attend right after she landed. There’s nothing wrong with this and we applaud her dedication! And, at least, she’s using her time wisely during the flight. 

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Airplane Stretching Is Mandatory

If there’s anything we’ve learned from these photos so far, it’s that we’re not surprised how people get creative during a flight. We’ve witnessed the usual stretching out in the aisle and the empty seats in front of you, but this one isn’t something we’ve seen before.

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Yes, we’re also confused. How is this lady able to stretch her legs like that and seemingly be comfortable? It’s a mystery. She couldn’t possibly have her seatbelt on and manage to get in that crazy position. She’s in trouble if there’s turbulence! 

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A Seafood Spread To Last A Lifetime

This photo seems very reminiscent of what an Instagram influencer would post. We’re unsure how she managed to land this lavish meal during a plane ride, but she did it somehow. She’s living it up. Just look at all of those lobsters!

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We’re still perplexed as to how this even happened. All of that seafood would have caused an unpleasant smell throughout the entire cabin. It must have been a nuisance for the other passengers to sit through. How did they even board the plane with that much food? We need answers!

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Another Gross Sock Story

We’ve already witnessed one nasty sock passenger before and now there’s another one. This particular sock guy came up with a clever way to dry his sweaty, gross socks. Imagine what everybody else on the plane thought. 

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If his socks were indeed sweaty, then drying them out that way will just distribute the stinky smell throughout the whole cabin. Nobody wants to be sitting on a plane that smells like smelly feet and sweaty socks. Between this guy and the seafood lady, we feel really bad for all the passengers. 

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This Inconsiderate Litterer Created A Full-On Landfill

Considering everything we’ve seen on this list, this is truly the worst one. During long-haul flights, the cabin crew usually comes around to collect trash, and you typically hand it to them. Obviously, this person didn’t even bother. 

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This litterer is grossly inconsiderate and the floor in front of him looks like a disgusting landfill. We don’t understand why they didn’t throw their trash away when the attendant came by with a garbage bag. There’s no real reason why such a circumstance should have been encountered by an attendant. We surely feel bad for them! 

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The Kid Just Wants To Be Unbothered

The lady from a few photos ago stretched her legs upward and somebody else stretched out on the floor. Another person stretched out in their own makeshift hammock. Now, we’ve got a sneaky stretcher and personal-space-invader behind this little kid. 

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Clearly, the kid is not amused with the toes sticking out from behind him. The look on his face is screaming, “Can we please switch seats?” Or, you could just ask the person to put their gross feet elsewhere. This poor kid just wants to enjoy watching his cartoons uninterrupted.

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This Takes “I Need Privacy” To A Whole New Level

Being on an airplane means that your sense of personal space goes out the window. Your seat neighbor can watch your every move and whether you eat, sleep, cry, or laugh. While we all strive for privacy on a plane, it usually doesn’t exist. 

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Of course, we aren’t surprised that this person decided to get creative with their minimal use of space. This person created a privacy bubble so nobody would disturb his peace, and he put up blankets on either side of him in hopes that his ingenious plan would work. It looks like he pulled it off!

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Ever Heard Of Shoes? No?

Upon first glance, this photo made us chuckle a bit. People are just so bizarre sometimes it helps to laugh. It’s not unusual for passengers to take their shoes off on planes, but this lady took this luxury and turned it on its head.

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Out of every item, why gloves? This lady obviously thought that putting gloves on her feet would be more sanitary than going barefoot. More importantly – where are her shoes? And who would ever walk into a lavatory without something to protect their feet from all the millions of germs on the floor? Our questions don’t end.

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This Bored Toddler Thinks He’s At Home

It’s not a secret that long flights can be boring. Most people have to figure out how to entertain themselves, or they simply just fall asleep to pass the time. For kids, long flights are even more difficult due to their short attention span and non-stop curiosity. 

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We’re sure this kid wanted to run around and wreak mayhem, but all he could do was stand up on the folding tray. That’s not quite safe, yet running around on an airplane isn’t either. Why didn’t his parents discipline him? Maybe they did but they gave up. 

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Grooming Yourself On The Flight

Girls aren’t the only ones who participate in on-flight beautification and self-care routines, guys do, too. They can also be privy to grooming themselves on a plane. If you don’t believe us, check out this first-class passenger shaving his head.

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Well, it’s safe to say that this is a first. We hope he thought ahead and put something down to cover his shaven hair from falling on the plane’s floor. Otherwise, the cabin crew would have to deal with the horror of sweeping the hair off of the carpet. They’d need a high-powered vacuum to pull off that task.

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There’s A Lot Going On In One Photo

Where do we even start with this picture? There’s so much going on. First, we need to address the guy that’s using boarding passes to shield his eyes. While we give him points for creativity, wouldn’t his eyes get irritated from the paper?

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Furthermore, did anybody notice the person (who we assume is his wife), laying down on top of him? With his legs over her legs, we can’t imagine they’re comfortable. He’s even got his arm around her! 

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One Gigantic Boarding Pass, Please

Before you make assumptions about this photo, we’re going to share the backstory with you. Allegedly, this guy was on his way to a bachelor party in Prague and his friends printed out his lifesize boarding pass as a joke.

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Isn’t that what friends are for, though? To joke around and print out your boarding pass in the biggest size possible for you to lug around? Because this guy was the groom, it’s obvious why they pranked him because isn’t that the point?!

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An Inseparable Couple

We all know those couples that can’t take their eyes off each other and hands (and feet). This photo is a testament to that fact. When a couple is separated on a flight, they still find some way to remain connected.

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This seems like an ideal situation for everybody involved. She gets to stretch her legs out and still have her boyfriend cuddle her somewhat. He also gets in on part of the bargain. The only group that this is less than ideal for is the rest of the plane!

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Casually Shucking…What Now?

Airplanes tend to do their best to meet the needs of every passenger on board. From drinks to snacks and meals, to blankets and safety equipment, plus entertainment, passengers are usually very well accommodated. Not much is required of the passenger except to follow the rules and enjoy the flight. 

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That being said, we’re assuming the attendants on the flight can’t accommodate whatever this lady is doing. She really brought an entire ear of corn and casually shucked it during her flight. We can’t help but speculate what she did next. Did she eat it raw? 

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The Perks Of Being A Short Girl

Many people dream of being taller than they actually are, although, when it comes to flights, sometimes shorter is better. Shorter people have the capability to create more legroom, and, if needed, they can stretch out their legs like this.

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This is great for shorter folks, but taller people usually need to sit in the aisle seat. That means they can’t rest their head on the window if they need to sleep, and they have a lot less leg space. We’re wondering if the taller person was jealous of their neighbor – we would be!

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Selfish Travelers Are A Dime A Dozen

During the pandemic, the stress and anxiety of traveling was heightened. People are always worrying about contracting COVID and travel with the risk of being more exposed to the virus at the forefront of their minds. Because of this, we’d only hope that travelers would be a little more considerate of others. 

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Nope! This image is a clear example of not getting on a plane full of people if you know you’re sick. If you have COVID, don’t leave your house and run the risk of exposing everybody else to what you have. Come on, people! Selfish travelers don’t shock us anymore and they are more and more common these days. 

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