Airplane passenger's life-saving allergy request sparks harsh backlash
After boarding an easyJet flight, content creator Dan Kelly, who posts on TikTok as @_maycontain, filmed his interaction with a flight attendant, whom he immediately pulled aside to note his severe nut allergies.
Though the airline banned the sale of peanuts on its flights several years back, and asks passengers not to bring snacks containing nuts onboard, Kelly often lets cabin crews know about his allergy, which he claims can be triggered by nut particles in the air.
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3 Kelly suggests passengers with severe allergies pack several Epi-Pens that can remain handy whenever.
Instagram/@_maycontain
The prudent passenger also asked if the cabin crew could make an announcement to other travellers, letting them know that this flight would have to be nut-free for his own safety.
The friendly flight attendant asked the TikTokker where his seat was, and inquired whether or not he had any EpiPens, before sending him on his way, worry-free.
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'I love it when [flight attendants] understand straight away,' the content creator wrote in the comments, praising the steward for his pragmatism and no-nonsense attitude.
@_maycontain
Surely people can go without nuts for a few hours if it could save someone's life! Honestly, I don't understand why some people still don't take food allergies seriously. If it were you or your child living with a life-threatening allergy, you'd hope others would show a bit more empathy and recognise just how serious it really is! ✈️If you travelling or going abroad with a food allergy, make sure to check the 🔗 in my bio #allergy #foodallergy #allergies #easyjet ♬ original sound – May Contain
The content creator's page is dedicated to bringing awareness and understanding to allergy-related issues. Typically, his videos range from demonstrating proper Epi-Pen use to offering up his experience on dating while living with a serious allergy.
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'I've had a severe nut allergy since I was 5. It impacts my daily life constantly; living with the fear of a reaction is exhausting, and it's even more intense when traveling abroad,' Kelly told Newsweek.
'Every time I fly, I ask the airline to make an announcement just in case someone nearby starts eating nuts,' Kelly added as even minor exposure — through air particles or surface contact — can trigger a reaction. 'If someone eats nuts, doesn't wash their hands, then touches me, that could trigger it.'
3 Though many flight attendants don't mind making the announcements, airlines also typically state that they cannot guarantee a fully nut-free environment.
SPS Media – stock.adobe.com
Though many were sympathetic to Kelly's fear of mid-flight anaphylaxis — which could be triggered by touching or inhaling nearby nut residue — others weren't so willing to give up their salty snacks.
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'Your ticket should cost more if you being on the plane changes the rules for everyone else against their consent,' argued one harsh commenter, while another said, 'Since when has an entire group accommodating to a single individual become the norm? One person shouldn't dictate what a plane load of people can and cannot eat.'
3 The TikTokker was flying from Pisa to London.
TikTok/@_maycontain
While some commenters advised Kelly to wear gloves and a mask for additional protection, one user offered an entirely different — and somewhat ruthless — suggestion.
'It's a choice to fly, you don't have to. Why should everyone else have to worry about you? Just because you want to get on a plane,' criticized one viewer.
'I booked this ticket strictly to eat plane peanuts, it's not fair,' quipped a dry-witted commenter, referring to the wave of backlash Kelly received — which several other users also dubbed 'ridiculous.'
'Imagine how annoying it would be to have to emergency land in the middle of nowhere because someone couldn't resist a granola bar and it nearly killed another person,' reasoned another viewer.
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While allergies are lifelong conditions for many, new research surrounding the affliction has proven that, in some instances, it is possible to cure a nut allergy.
However, until these procedures become more commonplace, Kelly simply asks that his fellow passengers opt for an alternative snack while stuck in a pressurized cabin miles above the ground.
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