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CBC.ca Wednesday, May 21, 2014

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Man pees in bag on no-bathroom Air Canada Express flight

Mechanical problem forced operator to use aircraft without bathroom

CBC News

Posted:May 21, 2014 11:56 AM NT

Last Updated:May 21, 2014 3:38 PM NT

Video

Pee incident disgusts passenger

A Labrador woman is appalled that a fellow passenger had to urinate on flight, reports Christopher Ensing

Watch: 2:28

One man's relief triggered a woman's disgust during a recent flight from Deer Lake on the west coast of Newfoundland to Wabush, in western Labrador.

map of man pees in bag

(CBC)

Karen Janes was flying home with her two children on April 30 following an Easter visit with relatives in Springdale, about an hour's drive from Deer Lake.

She was initially concerned when the agent at the airport announced there was no bathroom on the plane.

Others were equally surprised.

"I proceeded to get on the plane and we were only on there probably 10 minutes and I see this gentleman behind me kind of looking around and he says to me, "Is there a washroom on board? And I says, 'No, there's no washroom on board,'" Janes recalled.

What happened next left her dumbfounded.

"So a couple of moments later we started going up in the air and he tapped me on the shoulder and he said, 'Can you move your son? I need to pee.'"

Not once, but twice

With that, Janes said the man peed into a bag. Twice.

"I'm feeling really uncomfortable and disgusted," she said. "One for the fact that there's no bathroom on this plane, and two that this man is urinating behind me with my six-year-old son just ahead of me. The gentleman may very well have had a problem ... so, ya know, I don't blame the gentleman for that."

She does, however, blame the airline and operator.

The plane was a Beechcraft 1900 turbo prop operated by EVAS Air Charters for Air Canada Express. The flight was full with 19 passengers at the time, with a scheduled stop in Happy Valley-Goose Bay, and total flying time of about three hours.

A spokesperson for EVAS said a mechanical issue forced the company to use a substitute plane which had no bathroom.

"We do have a lavatory on the aircraft flying in Labrador," Florence White told CBC News in an email response. "However, we also have some aircraft which are reserved for very short routes that do not. On this particular day, due to a mechanical issue with our regular aircraft, we had to substitute an aircraft without a lav."

Passengers forewarned

White said an announcement was made at the gate before boarding, which was confirmed by Air Canada spokeswoman Isabelle Arthur.

"This was a very unfortunate experience and we will be responding directly to this customer," said Arthur, adding passengers were advised to use the bathroom before boarding.

Transport Canada, which is primarily responsible for safety, does not stipulate whether aircraft must have bathrooms or not.

But a spokeswoman said it usually depends on the size of the plane.

"Aircraft configured with 20 or more passenger seats generally have enough space within the fuselage to accommodate at least one washroom, while those with 19 or fewer seats do not."

Janes, meanwhile, said the operator should have been better prepared, insisting bathrooms are non-negotiable.

"For me, I was just very upset and shocked that there was no bathroom on this flight. There was no indication when I booked the ticket that there was no bathroom on board."

She also said other people have told her it's not the first time that flight has been lavatory-less.

Janes said she paid about $2,400 for three tickets but that will be the last time, if there's an alternative.

"We're not going to stand for these short-haul flights that have no bathrooms. We need bathrooms on this kind of public transportation. We pay good money for these flights."

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It always amazes me how some people can be so repulsed by a normal human bodily function that everyone engages in. It's not like the guy stood up and displayed it right in front of her. Take a pill. I'm sure she wouldn't freak over a mom breast feeding her baby.

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And on another note I see Sunwing cancelled a flight to Cuba and a pending bride and groom who have been planning this date for 8 months ....... plus 30 others in their party........... are now scrambling to find another resort.

Sunwing apologized and said the cancellation was due to "unexpected circumstances".

Bride and groom have about 30+ custom designed T-Shirt souvenirs with the wrong resort name and wrong date on them for sale !! :Furious::biggrin2:

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It always amazes me how some people can be so repulsed by a normal human bodily function that everyone engages in. It's not like the guy stood up and displayed it right in front of her. Take a pill. I'm sure she wouldn't freak over a mom breast feeding her baby.

Um, I'm not sure I agree with you this time J.O. What if he was doing a number two? :o

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Dishonest, or shoddy, reporting yet again.

"The plane was a Beechcraft 1900 turbo prop operated by EVAS Air Charters for Air Canada Express. The flight was full with 19 passengers at the time, with a scheduled stop in Happy Valley-Goose Bay, and total flying time of about three hours."

The truth is that it's an hour and a half flight from Deer Lake to Goose Bay, a scheduled stop where deplaning is possible and then another hour and a half flight to Wabush. The article is technically correct but the way it's written is not clear.

The aircraft did not have an operable washroom so an announcement was made telling the passengers about this. I don't think 90 minutes is too long for most people to go without needing a washroom, in fact the other 18 people on the flight seemed to manage ok. Millions of people go to movies everyday, do their commute, or go on car drives that exceed 90 minutes but this one guy had to go twice during the flight - what should the agents and/or airline done? Cancel the flight or maybe take each passenger by the hand and drag them to the washroom to make sure that they went like you would with a young child? Yeah the guy might have had a medical issue that made it impossible to go for 90 minutes without needing the washroom but he should have known this and voiced his concern to the agent. Personally I think his medical issue was simply not paying attention to the announcements.

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You dont take "Water Pills" for hypertension. you take a Diuretic, and yes they do make you pee.....alot. However I flew YYZ-YHZ then again YHZ-YYZ and even indulged in a few glasses of vino with dinner and didn't need to pee. Well....I did when I arrived....in the terminal

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Guest longtimer

boestar: your facts are wrong in that "water pills" and Diuretics are the same thing. Try the same trip but substitute a few cups of coffee for the wine.

For high blood pressure, diuretics, commonly known as "water pills," help your body get rid of unneeded water and salt through the urine

What Are the Side Effects of Diuretics?

Like any drug, diuretics come with potential side effects. They can include:

Frequent urination. This may last for several hours after a dose.

.http://www.webmd.com/hypertension-high-blood-pressure/guide/diuretic-treatment
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You dont take "Water Pills" for hypertension. you take a Diuretic, and yes they do make you pee.....alot. However I flew YYZ-YHZ then again YHZ-YYZ and even indulged in a few glasses of vino with dinner and didn't need to pee. Well....I did when I arrived....in the terminal

Gee...I dunno if we should brag about what we can "hold" :Grin-Nod: however...just in case someone asks me..YUL- ADZ (5+30) ...cab to resort-----registration----- lunch--- go to room. I estimate about 7 to7+30 and no need to 'tinkle'......(I do drink just water when flying...never drink tea or coffee in the air or on the ground and only wine when on water or terra firma) :biggrin1::biggrin1:

Yes, you might say I'm 90 % bladder and I guess that is better than 90% the other stuff :Grin-Nod:

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Well Kip you win. I have never made YYZ-LHR without a pee break. Worse since I have been on the above mentioned medication

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going that long without a bathroom break means only one thing - you were severely dehydrated.

Never.....................as I said I drink only water...been in the business long enough to know about hydration and dehydration......if you youngin's spent any time strapped in a whiz-bang for 3 + hours you'd have a larger bladder as well. :blush:

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Same here. I drink large quantities of water daily. Usually around 2 Litres. While I probably couldn't make a flight from YYZ - YTS right now with the diuretics I am taking. I can barely make the trip to the office. :glare:

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Kip - thanks for calling me a "youngin" it was nice but Im far from it sadly.

Ive done my time flying airplanes without lavs and with no ability to even get out of my seat..

but tell me ... did you have to walk uphill both ways to and from your "whiz bang" aircraft - cause i've heard that one already.

;)

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As I recall, the lav installation in the 1900 was larger than the Dash is. It has 2 (half) pocket doors at the end of the aisle where you walk in to a compartment the width of the fuselage- don't recall how deep tho.

Either in the Dash, or the 1900, I always referred to it as the flying outhouse. Disgusting!

What's amazing is how people sit waiting in the terminal lounge, with a real washroom -complete with running water, then before we've even closed the doors, they're looking to use the lav.

(Insert head shake guy)...

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Any time an airline is forced to dispatch an aircraft with inoperable lavs, APU (air conditioning) or other passenger comfort items, you're just asking for trouble. Make all the required pre-board announcements you like but passengers will still board as per normal and then the fun begins.

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As I recall, the lav installation in the 1900 was larger than the Dash is. It has 2 (half) pocket doors at the end of the aisle where you walk in to a compartment the width of the fuselage- don't recall how deep tho.

Either in the Dash, or the 1900, I always referred to it as the flying outhouse. Disgusting!

What's amazing is how people sit waiting in the terminal lounge, with a real washroom -complete with running water, then before we've even closed the doors, they're looking to use the lav.

(Insert head shake guy)...

Flying outhouse. Ha!

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I once rode in a 1900 south of the border. The term "flying outhouse" could easily have been applied to the entire aircraft. The state of the crew's uniforms made me wonder if they didn't both live in one as well. :sick:

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