Profile: mcs24
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There is indeed plenty wrong with the very idea that airlines should be banned from serving peanuts. Not only does it shift responsibility for the problems of a very small minority of people onto others, but it also accomplishes nothing, as peanuts and pieces of them are already on-board the aircraft.
At the same time, there is negligible risk to peanut allergy sufferers, as evidenced by the data.
There is indeed something wrong with banning peanuts on airlines. Despite the unfounded fears of certain death if they’re exposed to peanuts, no one has died from anaphylaxis from exposure to peanuts, peanut dust, or peanut oil on-board a U.S. airliner.
Thanks for your input, mcs24. If airlines were banned from serving peanuts, do you think it would be ideal for them to advertise that fact, so as to reduce the likelihood of people bringing peanuts onto the plane?
Thanks to Mulder and mcs24 for this dialogue. Is there anyone else who has an idea for a compromise between full allowance and an outright ban on peanuts?
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I think it’s fair to ban airlines from serving packets of peanuts. If people want peanuts, they can certainly get their own and really, why do you need peanuts specifically? On Southwest you can already request a peanut free flight as far as what they offer (they offer crackers instead).
DO I think they should ban all peanut products, such as peanut butter or Snickers or things like that? No. Maybe work to create a peanut free zone, allow people with allergies to move and/or make the peanut product eating person move. Dust won’t spread in that way, making it safer for people who are allergic to peanuts, but without restricting too much the rights of others. Even schools, for example, generally have a place where students can eat their lunch – a peanut free table or something… more »
For the record, I have friends with gluten allergies, etc who have a limited set of foods they can eat, peanut products being one of them. If we start regulating food too much, you’re going to always be having someone who can’t eat anything allowed on the flight due to their own sensitivities.
*I’d like to add – I don’t think airlines need to necessarily serve peanut products. If you want peanut stuff, bring it, but you don’t have a “right” to be served peanuts by the airline. I say this as someone with no allergy. But banning people from bringing peanut products – especially products that just contain peanuts as one ingredient, not bagged – goes too far. « less
I don’t think there is anything wrong with banning airlines from serving bagged peanuts. It’s an unnecessary risk and you’d think they would have caught onto that already. Banning passengers from bring their own peanut containing products (i.e. snickers or things with peanut oil) is probably too far, although peanut allergy people should be given the ability to not sit near that person. It seems like a fair compromise.
Mulder, I like peanuts, but I don’t consider it my right to have airlines serve them to me. I don’t think they need to. Plenty of times I’m not thrilled with what I am offered so I usually bring my own. I think some of this is just outrage that someone dare put a regulation on something. But I don’t think passengers should be banned from bringing peanut products on the flight. There’s a compromise that can be struck.
Are we talking about airlines not providing peanuts, or peanuts not being allowed on an airplane? These are two VERY different issues. I would be indifferent to rules preventing airlines from serving peanuts (actually, I would welcome it, because I like the crackers better!). People who want peanuts can bring their own, easily enough. Should people be banned from bringing their own peanuts? No. And honestly, people would be more effective using market forces to convince airlines to change their menus.
I do have a cousin who legitimately goes into anaphylactic shock at exposure to peanuts. It’s not a joking matter; I would guess we have fewer complications because people with peanut issues don’t fly. But this is a minority, and I would not support a ban on peanuts existing… more »