Due to the recent terrorist attempt on Christmas Eve, on a plane about to land in Detroit coming from Amsterdam, U.S. planes will no longer allow anyone to leave their seat or have anything on their laps for at least one hour prior to the landing of the plane.

This means that no passengers can leave their seats to go to the bathroom during the last hour of the flight, meaning that even children or adults with medical conditions will not be able to go to the restroom for at least 1 1/2 hours, possibly longer by the time you actually get off the plane and into the terminal.  Whoever made these rules is obviously not a parent or a teacher.  Any parent or teacher knows that inevitably there will be children  who will need to go.  I’m anticipating a lot of crying children and “accidents” (even among adults) because of these rules.  Many adults have IBS (irritible bowel sydrome, which can cause explosive diarrhea–as can returning from a visit to a foreign country).  How will they ever manage?

Furthermore, it’s my understanding that books, magazines, ipods, pillows, jackets, or anything else will not be allowed on passengers’ laps during the last hour of the flight.

I don’t think I will be able to fly in or to the United States under these circumstances.  If I were back living in the United States, I think I’d have to drive or take a train.    I predict this will cause a decline in airline revenues, and turn into a boon for ground transportation.

If I were a terrorist, I’d just do my “stuff” earlier in the flight–no need to wait for the last hour!  My mother was actually killed on the Egypt Air flight of 1999, and that action (ruled pilot suicide, but which the term  “workplace rage” incident better describes) took place the first hour into the flight.

I’m hoping that within a year or two the airlines will see this is unworkable for children, and not important for preventing terrorism,  and lift some of these restrictions.

–Mary Mimouna

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