This is not a joke. With all the worries over terrorists on planes, the Canadian Transportation Agency is taking some new steps, to keep passengers safe from peanuts. As reported by CBC (the Canadian Broadcasting Company) it will no longer be sufficient for Air Canada not to serve peanuts on their planes.
The Canadian Transportation Agency has ruled that Air Canada needs to accommodate people who are allergic to nuts, and that the allergy must be treated as a disability. They suggest a “nut-free” zone, or a buffer area.
The ruling comes after a complaint was filed with the agency, by two passengers who said they had difficulties in getting away from nuts on the plane, one claimed she had to spend 40 minutes in the restroom while nuts were being served.
Now, I am not allergic to nuts myself, and I am not unsympathetic to problems those with allergies face. But how does Air Canada enforce this? And where does it end?
In the CTA ruling the exact quote is that Air Canada add “an exclusion or buffer zone where passengers within that zone will be advised that they can only eat foods that are peanut-free or nut-free and that they will only be offered peanut-free or nut-free foods as part of Air Canada’s on-board snack or meal will also address the risk of other passengers eating peanuts or nuts,”
So what happens if a passenger seated in that section brings a sandwich on board, or a salad with nuts on top or any one of a number of foods that contain some nuts, including even candy bars? And will airlines have to adjust their seating charts to note “nut/no nut zones?”
And with airlines that charge for “premium seating” in economy, what happens if someone with nut allergies wants one of those seats?
Then too, what happens for those who are allergic to perfume? Or animal hair, or any one of a number of things? Pets are limited on board, but still, if someone who has paid to bring an animal on board finds themselves next to a fellow traveler with an allergy, who has to move?
And if the airlines are serious about wanting to make the maximum number of people less miserable, what about a zone requiring some use of soap and water in the past 24 hours?
photo by starrgazr/flickr.com/creative commons
Janice Hough is a California-based travel agent a travel blogger and a part-time comedy writer. A frequent flier herself, she’s been doing battle with airlines, hotels, and other travel companies for over three decades. Besides writing for Travelers United, Janice has a humor blog at Leftcoastsportsbabe.com (Warning, the political and sports humor therein does not represent the views of anyone but herself.)
