There's a Law Protecting Your Airplane Peanuts

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Jeff Neumann

04/21/11 06:38AM

Filed to: Travel

The Department of Transportation is facing some big issues in the friendly skies these days, like sleeping air traffic controllers and the safety of First Lady Michelle Obama. But one issue stands apart: your right to eat nuts on an airplane.

Sadly, many people are allergic to one of America's favorite snacks. This led the DoT to poll travelers last year seeking a solution: An outright ban, a peanut "buffer zone" around allergic passengers, or a ban when one is requested pre-flight by an allergic passenger. All pretty bad options if you enjoy eating nuts. But alas, none of these options are even legal! In a statement, the DoT said:

The Department is prohibited by law from restricting the serving of peanuts aboard aircraft unless a peer-reviewed study determines that serving of peanuts causes severe reactions among airline passengers. There has been no such peer-reviewed study, so we declined to take action at this time.

Too bad, allergic people!

[CNN; image via]

The following replies are approved. To see additional replies that are pending approval, click Show Pending. Warning: These may contain graphic material.

kahnindustries 04/21/11 07:16AM

Speaking as someone with a severe allergy to peanuts the effect is noticeable and deadly. While a "Buffer zone" works in a cinema or restaurant the recycled air in an aircraft does cause reactions up the length of the plane.

My throat closes up and I die without an adrenaline injection in between a minute and thirty seconds.

However I hate to make a fuss and don't inform people the majority of the time, this did lead to an unfortunate vomiting blood, suffocating passing out incident that caused an emergency landing of the plane, luckily I keep my epi-pens in my hand luggage.

Allergies when severe are deadly, this isn't like vegetarianism or something. Peanut allergies, bee sting allergies and shell fish allergies are quite often severe enough to kill.

FrankenPC 04/21/11 07:22AM

Annnnd that's why I keep an ana-kit on me at all times. It's not anyone else's responsibility to keep me alive but myself.

kahnindustries 04/21/11 07:32AM

I feel the same way about hand guns

Peppermint 04/21/11 07:42AM

I can guarantee that I'd rather not eat peanuts on a plane than have my plane make an emergency landing. What the fuck.

ideeclare 04/21/11 07:55AM

No, no—that's okay, I don't want to make a fuss, I'll just die here quietly, ya'll go on eating your peanuts, I don't mind. wtf?

Thidrekr 04/21/11 07:25AM

My grandmother was diabetic and in a nursing home for a little while before she passed away, and we apparently learned that even having a separate diabetic-friendly menu was prohibited by law; everybody had to eat from the same items. It's funny how the farm lobby can have laws passed that flat out deny reason out of self-enrichment. And now we know why everything has high-fructose corn syrup in the U.S.

Montauk Monster 04/21/11 09:58AM

I flew Southwest for the first time a few weeks ago, and was kind of shocked that they served peanuts at all. I'd only ever been on Northwest airlines before, and they provided delicious little pretzel sticks, which led me to assume peanuts were eradicated.

Not that I care one way or the other. Roasted, salted, or sweetened peanuts are gross. RAW is the way to go. Delicious.

aprilphresh 04/21/11 10:28AM

I fear that if airlines start catering to everyone's allergies and sensitivities, they'll just drop off a napkin on each tray table and keep walking. Everybody can't eat something now, between all the new celiac-ers and kids allergic to everything all around them.

redpensplease 04/21/11 02:47PM

Also, these kids had to go to the airport, the bathroom, the hotel in the destination, the rental car, disneyworld, etc. — none of which are probably cleaned enough to rid everything of the threat of dust or oil. While I sympathize that the kids and families are highly anxious about the peanuts, the world doesn't have a ban on all foods that can cause allergies. If a person is incapable of going to the grocery store or a restaurant if their parent isn't around, I don't see how they will survive in adulthood.