Planetiquette - Watching Nudity on a Plane?

                                          

Plane+ Etiquette = Planetiquette 

Planetiquette is etiquette 30,000 ft. in the air.  Although it can begin the moment your foot touches the floor of the airplane when you look up to the flight attendant, boarding pass in hand, smile and say hello.

                                                                                                  

I received an e-mail today and since most airlines will be fitted with "Wi-Fi" there is a whole set of new "rules", er., guidelines, one should follow whilst in the air.  If you have been reading my blogs, you know I've spent many of hours (and hours and hours) on an airplane.  I have come across every single type of traveler there is - every type.  Nothing really surprises me.

Today I received an e-mail and I would like to share this with you because it's becoming more and more relevant:

Question

George, I was talking toa business consultant we hired...he travels a lot (like someone else I know)and he is a gadget geek...he's got the 17" MacBook Pro, iPhone, iPodTouch, etc...he had something happen on a recent flight and he wasn't sure whatthe proper etiquette would be for this incident.  He had purchased a movieon iTunes and was watching it on his Mac.  The movie was "Zack andMiri Make a Porno."  It is an R-rated film, but he wasn't expectingall of the sex that was featured in the film.  His question was...as longas you're not watching an X rated film...how long is it okay for nudity toappear on a big laptop screen without being rude to those around you?  Itold him that you would know the answer. :-)

 

Gary in Washington State


Answer

Ohhhh Gary, the moment I read this question it immediately reminded me about a huge problem where people who had cars with tv screens behind their front seats were showing porn.  Mothers were going crazy because it was something a certain genre was doing and this showing of porn became a fad, spreading to all over the country.  I've personally seen it myself where I would pull up behind an Escalade where the two back seat tv screens were playing the nasty.  To me, I didn't care, but if I had children in the car, I would be furious.

So, moving along to your question:

                                                

I've seen the movie in question.                                               

Was he sitting in a first-class seat like the one pictured above?  Where it is completely private and no one else can see what he is watching?  Yes, that is a first-class seat on Emirates, the doors actually slide close.

If he is traveling in domestic first class, coach, any business class, or any class where even a flight attendent could get a glimpse of it, then absolutely positively no.  I would include this with listening to an iPod where it is too loud and others can hear the noise.  Only in this case the "noise" is the nudity.  No one should have to see any kind of nudity.  The moment nudity pops up, the unit should be shut off.

Besides, let's look at it this way, what if a client of his saw him watching this?  Or his mother?  Or even better yet, your mother?  I think you get where I am going with this...

Conclusion

Rule of thumb:  if the airline would not show it to the entire plane on the overhead screens, then don't play it where someone around you would be able to catch a glance at it. 

Turbo Tagger

Posted by George Zaharoff at 21 July 2009, 12:01 AM
Categories: Etiquette
Tags: computers mobile phones airplane ettiquette adult movies planetiquette
 
Trackbacks
Trackback specific URL for this post
  • Trackbacks are closed for this post.
Comments
  • No comments exist for this post.
Leave a comment

Comments are closed.