Flight Attendants, Tell Us About The Worst Airline Passenger You've Ever Encountered

For most people, air travel is a very unglamorous experience. People are exhausted, stressed, frustrated, and ready to reach their destination. Some bring way too much stuff and try to cram it in their seat and overhead bins, and others suddenly unwrap tuna sandwiches mid-flight. Some take off their socks and shoes and put their feet up, and others order too much booze and get testy.

Something about airports and airplanes brings out the worst in people, and those who work for airlines get to witness these flaws in humankind all day, every day. Crew members have a front-row seat to whatever wildness happens while a bunch of strangers are trapped together in a giant metal tube hurtling through the sky. What could go wrong?

Perhaps you were working a long, trans-Atlantic flight that served dinner. Within an hour of the passengers eating, you noticed a bit of commotion. One by one, passengers began to look a bit sweaty and queasy. Many started taking trips to the lavatories. Soon, the flight was full of very sick, very frantic people. Dozens of people were fighting for access to very few tiny toilets. People were clutching their stomachs and wailing in agony. Some just buried their heads in their barf bags and accepted fate from their seats. It was horrifying.

Maybe you had a passenger who insisted on watching a show on their iPad at full volume without headphones. Many other passengers were trying to sleep, so you offered this noisy passenger some headphones. They refused and turned the volume up even higher. Folks around them began to complain and beg them to be quieter. The flight had another three hours to go, and tensions were high. You had to diffuse the situation by essentially bribing the noisy passenger with comped food and drinks, and after two little airplane bottles of wine, they knocked out and were quiet for the rest of the trip.

Or, maybe you had some very checked-out parents with rowdy children on board who could not be bothered to control their little hellions. The kids kept fighting, kicking the backs of the seats in front of them, running through the aisle, and spilling their toys and food everywhere. It was a safety issue and just plain annoying. You know traveling with kids can be tough, so you tried to distract the kids while politely reminding the parents to keep them seated. The parents popped their earbuds in and closed their eyes while their kids continued to argue loudly and throw bits of crackers at each other and nearby passengers.

Flight attendants, pilots, and general cabin crew/airline employees, we want to hear about your nightmare passengers and/or most frustrating days on the job. Tell us in the comments or share your story anonymously using this form for a chance to be featured in a BuzzFeed Community post.