This was seen on another forum: "(Southwest) does their best.....they let us board first to wipe down the trays and seats but the past two flights ....there were peanuts on the floor in the seats from previous flights."

Does it make sense to quietly ask to preboard giving allergies as an excuse? Is it not unusual to find peanut shells on the floor? Actually the request would require so many words that a written note with all of the following information seems better:

"We are requesting early boarding so we can wipe down tray tables, put blankets over seats, etc. and not delay the flight as our son (daughter, etc.) is allergic to peanuts."

Now if the gate agent says "no" then you would quietly board normally and wipe down the tray tables etc. anyway if you felt there was a need.

 

I guess you miss the earlier discussion .

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trave...ee-flight.html

 

That is amazing. I am allergic to all tree nuts. I always ask the attendants to help me avoid them in the meal service. Sometimes they still try to give me the hot nuts. ;-)

It is also surprising how many people do not know that cocoanut is a nut despite the name.

 

Is that a "cocoa nut" as in chocolate (a bean/seed) or a coconut as in Pina Colada?

...But then, a "peanot" is nut (or a peanut is not, being a legume).

 

Coco(a)nuts are fruit.

 

i'm allergic to cats and they didn't let me stomp on that meowing rodent on my flight today and send it out the exit door arghhh

 

Like many people of my generation (I am 26), I suffer from allergies to peanuts, all nuts except almonds (which if they are sliced are always so contaminated with other nuts by the processing that I react to them as well) and all shellfish. This is based on prick tests for these things, as wells as unfortunately known exposure to several of them in food accidentally.

One thing I think allergy suffers tend to find pretty annoying (at least I do) is this endless classification debates of is a peanut a nut or a legume, is a coconut (which I am not allergic to, although I know several people who are) a nut or a fruit etc. To someone who is allergic to peanuts, tree nuts, every nut, coconuts ... etc... it is sure going to seem like a nut.

Obviously this kind of confusion makes it tough for people seriving food to avoid making/serving something that might be dangerous. I have discovered that when I tell Iranian friends I am allergic to nuts, they seem to either be so unable to grasp this appalling concept, or else they don't have that kind of lumped singular concept in their language. Because they keep trying to serve me new kinds of nuts as if I was only allergic to the other ones.

The rise of food allergies that can cause anaphylaxis is really a new thing, so older people who don't have kids in today's schools often tend to be way less disposed to be accomdating and frankly considerate.

I hate cats, sure, and my allergist says I am "allergic" to them. I know that if I pet one and rub my hands in my eyes it will itch. But if I grind up a nut in my mouth I might die. From my hold high school debating days, I would say, "Can you see the bright line standard that differentiates these two scenarios?"

At the end of the day, one of the most frustrating thing about allergies is that you have to be personally responsible. Even your closes family will slip up and try and poison you on occasion, and inevitably I have eaten things I shouldn't. No matter how much precaution you take, you can still feel pretty helpless. I am lucky my allergies are mild enough that although I carry an epi-pen (to stab myself with should I need to save my life) I have never had to use it, just benedryl. But I can't imagine what it might be like to have a child someday with these allergies (I know a few parents in this situation) and to get on a play and be trapped up in the friendly skies.

I once had a seat mate who witnessed me turn down the offering of nuts on a flight, then proceeded to chew them so vigorously he pieces were flying onto my tray table. I had my drink slid as far over as possible and covered with a napkin, and obviously he was a big outlier in behavior. But it did make me think about the how captive one is on a plane.

As far as preboarding goes ... maybe we normally associate it with people who need "more time" to move around b/c they are old or crippled ... but would you want to deny it to someone who felt it might save a life from being lost? I know I wouldn't.

 

I'm (very) allergic as well, I'm 16 (going to be 17 in 8 days).

 

....that would make anyone's eyes water

 

Unsanitary, just like clipping fingernails. Worth use of the call button if the person persists.

 

Actually....a coconut is a drupe. Closer to fruit than nut.

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-drupes.htm

 

I love nuts. Especially the warm nuts on UA P.S.

 

I'm surprised by this - if your allergies are known to the crew policy says (at least at Delta, the airline I'm familiar with) no nuts are to be served to ANYONE in the surrounding rows - when you made your reservation did you make the airline aware of your allergy?

 

Guess what? Some people can die from being in an enclosed space with an animal to which they are allergic. My ex's family has an amazing tendency toward extreme dog allergy, and one close relative died from being in the same room with a dog for about 20 minutes. My son will have a life-threatening asthma attack from close contact with a dog.

Doesn't look like that different from a food allergy to me, but you get a whole lot less sympathy when you try to tell somebody that their beloved Fido is dangerous than when you claim food allergy.

 

The question that also needs to be asked is whether the rise in food allergies is real:

Telling Food Allergies From False Alarms

Peanut Allergy Overdiagnosed

Both of these articles point to different reasons why doctors may be overdiagnosing food allergies. This does not mean that severe food allergies don't exist, but there may be many people out there who are unnecessarily fearful of exposure because of poor medical advice.

Please note that this is a general comment and in no way should be read to question the allergies of any of the posters above. I have seen people experience anaphylaxis so I do understand how life-threatening allergies can be.

As a separate comment regarding whether one should eat nuts next to someone who refuses them: I will continue to go ahead. There are many reasons for people not to eat nuts besides allergies - dislike, digestion issues, too many calories, bad teeth, etc. If you have an allergy to nuts and feel it is unsafe for me to eat them next to you, please let me know. I can be considerate, but I am not a mind reader.