Foot Fetish

October 10, 2007

in Weird People Stories

I travel a lot for my job, so I am used to crazy, strange, smelly, obnoxious, etc. people on flights – I’m usually ALWAYS the one who gets seated next to them. However, I was not prepared for what I experienced on a routine flight from JFK to Miami International. I sat in my aisle seat, got situated, a ‘regular’ person sat right next to me. She seemed nice – not a pushy person who immediately claims the arm rest…directly across the aisle from me, another nice, normal person sat – no loud gadgets, loud talking, etc…I thought to myself – ‘ahhh, nice!’ I sat back, and relaxed.

Then – a man, about late 60’s/early 70’s, sits in the seat one row in front and across the aisle from me. He situates himself, waits until we take off, and proceeds to take off his shoes….first the right, then the left….followed by, of course, his socks – first the right then the left…..he then begins to PICK at the dead, scaly skin on his feet. I’m not kidding – he used his finger nails to scrape, scrape and pull the dead skin from his heels, his toes, the arch of his foot. After a few minutes, I thought – surely someone would say something to stop him. Definitely the poor person sitting next to him would eventually get fed up at the disgustingness of the situation to ask him to stop. Nope…no one – not a flight attendant, NO ONE said a word. I thought I was going crazy – how could I be the only person completely disgusted by this? A literal MOUND of dead skin was under this man’s feet – I thought I was going to be sick. Finally, I decided, ‘no mas!,’ I have to stop this….just as I reached for the attendant button – I saw it. It was shiny…it was small – it was a NAIL CLIPPER. That’s right – he began to clip his toe nails – on a packed flight. Thank the heaven’s for the rest of us, the nails landed right on top of the dead skin hill under his now-primped feet. I still get nauseated at the very thought of it all.

I’ve been from Tokyo to London to Hawaii, I have been delayed – canceled – bumped…..and I have to admit that this flight was hands down the worst flight I had ever been on!

Signed, Done With Travel!

{ 14 comments… read them below or add one }

John July 15, 2008 at 9:48 am

oh my god I am so grossed out for you. THIS happened to me once on a domestic flight, and I was just as scandalised as you were. WHAT is wrong with people that they think clipping their toe-nails is acceptible around other human beings, but that their foot odor isn't disturbing anyone in a closed environment like that? All I could do was loudly go "you have to be kidding me" hoping that would catch their attention. it didn't.

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rb July 15, 2008 at 11:55 am

It's a nasty thought, but…You could have told the flight attendant that your passenger had a "deadly" weapon.

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Anonymous July 16, 2008 at 6:04 pm

That's disgusting….and the sad part is that everyone else (such as yourself) was hoping that someone else would put a stop to it. Ultimately the flight attendant should have done so, but being confrontational on a long flight (and the ensuing tension) probably wasn't what anyone wanted to deal with.

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A. Blaise April 2, 2009 at 11:32 am

Why are people such pussies? You complain about no one doing or saying anything and yet that is exactly what you did…nothing. You are a pussy.

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Anonymous April 2, 2009 at 11:40 am

Blaise, you're even more of a pussy for complaining on the internet

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Anonymous April 2, 2009 at 4:52 pm

Ew!!! That's NASTY!!!

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Karl April 2, 2009 at 11:58 pm

In our days nail clippers no longer allowed in cabin.

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huh April 3, 2009 at 5:45 am

The noble global villagers admonish: When life hands you dead skin from a Japanese foot, make a wallet out of it!

PETA would approve.

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zack April 3, 2009 at 11:09 am

it would be different if you were sitting right next to the person. quit being such a pansy

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huh April 6, 2009 at 12:23 pm

What wrogn with being a pansy?

"Pansy Division: Life in a Gay Rock Band"

Perhpas sexist Xtain Rethug with a repressed "thing" for dead skin, are we, zack?

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Anonymous April 7, 2009 at 6:15 am

thats wrong, disgusting.

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jenkins April 7, 2009 at 8:05 am

so does that mean your gay?

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Joe Mama April 7, 2009 at 10:24 am

I have a strong stomach but visualizing this story made me a bit ill. Yeechh, can't you do that at home before getting on the plane?

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Mack October 27, 2009 at 8:40 am

"After a few minutes, I thought – surely someone would say something to stop him. Definitely the poor person sitting next to him would eventually get fed up at the disgustingness of the situation to ask him to stop. Nope…no one – not a flight attendant, NO ONE said a word. "

Why didn't YOU say something to him?!!!

Typical. Complain, complain, but do nothing about it yourself.

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