‘Get off and walk Karen': World tears flight passenger's insane demands to shreds
Don't call her high-maintenance — just highly allergic.
A plane passenger's sky-high list of demands has gone viral after she handed flight attendants a printed 'Flight Allergy List' asking for a ban on everything from coffee and cashews to cologne and jet fuel.
Yes, jet fuel.
The laminated letter — shared on X by user Sergio Rodriguez (@LyftGyft), who was seemingly seated nearby — quickly ignited backlash and mockery online. 'Imagine sitting next to a passenger like this?' Rodriguez posted.
Among the airborne offences that could apparently send her into medical mayhem: 'NO Coffee (highly allergic even to smell), NO Cashews, NO fragrance or chemical smells (Cologne, Perfume, Scented Soap or Body Lotion, NO Gasoline or Airplane Fuel).'
That's right — even the scent of java could allegedly ground her.
'I am highly allergic to the smell of coffee and would appreciate it if you could refrain from brewing coffee. As even the smell can stop my breathing,' she wrote.
She also asked for a large bottle of water — not the typical thimble-sized cup — adding: 'This way I don't have to constantly ask you for more water.'
And the pièce de résistance? 'Thank you for your patience and understanding in trying to make the flight as enjoyable as possible for me. I appreciate you.'
Cue the collective eye-roll.
X users were not having it. 'I would kindly let them know they can either die from the coffee smell or from my lack of coffee and then let them make the decision,' one joked.
Another chimed in, 'Get off and walk Karen, omg.' One other sceptic wrote, 'This seems like a list of low tolerances rather than allergies.'
Another added, 'Oh, just as long as she's comfortable and enjoying herself. F**K EVERYBODY ELSE!!'
Someone else quipped, 'Take the train. Hey. I'm allergic to the smell of her. Ban her.'
While airlines do try to accommodate allergy-prone passengers — Delta, for example, skips peanuts if given 48 hours' notice from allergic flyers — experts say the threat of airborne nut dust is largely overblown.
In fact, a 2024 review published in the journal Archives of Disease in Childhood debunked the idea that allergens float menacingly through aeroplane ventilation systems.
'Food-induced allergic reactions are around 10–100 times less common during flights than 'on the ground,'' researchers wrote. The real danger? That mystery smear on your tray table.
'Cleaning tray tables, seat surfaces and seat back entertainment systems at the start of a flight with sanitising wipes is particularly important,' the researchers advised — especially since 'minimal cabin cleaning occurs in between flights, especially with low-cost carriers.'
They added that peanut allergens can 'be detected at very low levels in the air when shelling nuts, but the dust settles quickly and can only be detected in very close proximity to the nuts.'
Experts also pointed out that modern aircraft ventilation systems replace cabin air every 3-4 minutes, and include HEPA filters that capture dust, microbes — and yes, even coffee vapours.
So while nut allergies are real — 4.6 million US adults have one — the chances of choking from second-hand cashew whiff? Practically non-existent.
Meanwhile, approximately two per cent of Australian adults, 10 per cent of infants under one, and four to eight per cent of children up to five years of age suffer from a food allergy, according to the Australian Institute of Food Safety.
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