WWYD -- Noisy Nurses at the Next Table

Personally, I think it’s to be provocative, unlike the nurses who were just discussing their day.
How does one even determine a casual discussion on a plane is provocative? Are they only being provocative if the conversation is across the aisle from your views?

On our upcoming flight to Europe, I can guarantee you there will be some political talk over the 14 hours as there will be some major news that breaks or at the minimum numerous tweets to dissect. We will not be trying to be provocative, only that as a family, we are very interested in current events.

Or would you prefer that rather than having family discussions, we all bury our noses in our smartphones. Oh wait, that is frowned on too. 14 hours of talking fluff is not stimulating conversation. We have this grey matter between our ears that we actually enjoy using.

I invested in nice Bose noise canceling headphones for those times I don't want to hear my neighbors. If others are anticipating being offended, they should do the same.
 
Last edited:
How does one even determine a casual discussion on a plane is provocative? Are they only being provocative if the conversation is across the aisle from your views?

On our upcoming flight to Europe, I can guarantee you there will be some political talk over the 14 hours as there will be some major news that breaks or at the minimum numerous tweets to dissect. We will not be trying to be provocative, only that as a family, we are very interested in current events.

Or would you prefer that rather than having family discussions, we all bury our noses in our smartphones. Oh wait, that is frowned on too. 14 hours of talking fluff is not stimulating conversation. We have this grey matter between our ears that we actually enjoy using.

I invested in nice Bose noise canceling headphones for those times I don't want to hear my neighbors. If others are anticipating being offended, they should do the same.
I have had many experiences of hearing ppl talk very loudly beyond a reasonable volume that was obviously meant to be provocative. I’ve observed it on both “sides”, if you will. In public, unless I’m purposely trying to eavesdrop, it’s impolite to be loud enough that I can overhear your conversation regardless of the subject matter...especially on a 14 hour flight. I don’t care what anyone says or does (i.e. “bury” your nose in your phone) wherever they are, but it shouldn’t disturb others.
 


Eh, teachers and day care workers go out to eat after having been immersed in kid germs all day. For most of us, it does us good to be around germs and microbes. Our society has become quite sanitized.

My sons are students of pharmacy. They'll work in scrubs and be around sick people, but not bodily fluids all day long. Lots of medical type people wear scrubs.

Worked in a hospital for years without getting sick. Took a school nurse job and within a week, those kids passed me a nasty cold and fever I had to push through. LOL

For the OP, just asked to change tables if you can't get this out of your head. Those nurses likely had no idea others were listening or grossed out. I've had to be reminded by hubby and kids about appropriate dinner table conversations more than a few times. :rolleyes1
 
The issue is knowing your intended audience and (possibly) thinking about the UNINTENDED audience. I bet you if you would have asked the nurses in the OP, they had no idea they were speaking loud enough for neighboring tables to hear, and would have preferred other tables NOT hearing. Some people (and I am one) are just loud talkers. It's not that we're trying to ruin or interfere with others, we simply don't realize we're doing it.

So true! You are 100% right
 


On such super incredibly tight quarters as an airplane, yes, it would be almost impossible to have any discussion without somebody nearby being able to hear (if they wanted....) Any party can put on some music or watch/listen to their A/V system. Flying is a whole different animal.

I still maintain that speaking in a normal, or louder than normal tone, in a public restaurant, about human excrement is just not respectful or okay.
And, I also still maintain that whether or not somebody happens to agree with another couple/groups viewpoint on current events, is that person's problem.
If ones ears are just so delicate and easily offended... They just do not find themselves able to handle opinions other than their own... then it should be up to them to protect their ears.
Nobody should have to feel shamed or silenced or censored about current events and basic (non-hateful) politics. EVER.
That is the whole and entire basis of our constitutional freedom of speech.

Gross is, well, just GROSS. And, whether one has 'no ick factor' whatsoever does not justify or make it any less disrespectful when they disregard and disrespect the fact that that many, if not most, people do. Some things are just not appropriate in a public restaurant.
Topics often are time and place appropriate. I see this as one of them.

Now.... Whether one happens to agree with what another is saying... That should be a total NON issue.

To say that others freedom to have discussions and express opinions with the people that they are with is 'offensive' (even with a disclaimer) is the same as saying that speech should be censored. Of course, hate speech and open arguing in public would be totally different examples.

This is apples to oranges here.
And I am going to say that those who brought in the topic of current events / politics being so offensive, are just simply never offended if the viewpoint being heard matches their own. That is just how it works. Double standard every time.
 
Last edited:
I can understand coworkers discussing their day. I have no problem with people getting graphic. I just can’t help getting grossed out by it. I’m not trying to censor anyone.

My teacher friends and I say things in the teachers lounge that would shock anyone listening in. We curse and vent our frustrations and can get pretty obnoxious. Those of us that might go out after school speak freely without much thought to who might be listening.

The one thing I try to be aware of is swearing in places where children are. I am sure that my mouth has offended someone at some point. I know I slipped here using a word that I didn’t consider a bad word, but apparently it was, and I got called out on it. No big deal.

Someone is always listening. It’s up to you whether or not you care about that.

I just thought of something in the thread's starting statement. She said they ate at a place close to hospitals/clinics and medical personnel were known to eat there. I suspect that this was the case and the medical personnel assumed this too and got "lax" in their conversations. I know I wouldn't knowingly gross civilians out on purpose:) Just an afterthought.
 
I agree!
These nurses were probably just going about their day, and were caught unaware.
Maybe they need to just remember, think twice!!! Happens!
I just think it should be acknowledged that this is probably an issue for a lot of people....
Not just - well, their nurses... people should just suck it up...

I don't know if I might try to give them a 'look'... I wouldn't really say anything.
I might move if it were not to inconvenient...
 
It really wouldn't have bothered me at all but, I guess if it did, I would just call over in a friendly voice & say "I commend you for the job you do but you're kind of grossing me out" and then laugh a little.
 
I wouldn't have done anything. If it bothered you so bad, then you can ask to move.
 
You have a separate washing machine just to wash your work clothes?! I have never heard of anyone doing that.

ETA...where do you work that your clothes get so contaminated?
In a hospital. Same as most people. Hospitals are full of very icky things. I just spent 6 days this week working on a contact hall. MDROs, VRE, MRSA, Cdiff all these things are carried from one room to another by healthcare workers. Or into the home of the healthcare worker where their families are not typically susceptible to these infections. Except I have an immunocompromised mother and a daughter who is hospitalized frequently.
I constantly wipe down surfaces at work. WOW units, door handles, sink faucets, etc. I do not cross contaminate patients and I dont carry work clothing into my home until it has been washed. My shoes never enter my house. Im not going to introduce infection to my family and Im not going to infect your loved one.
 
In a hospital. Same as most people. Hospitals are full of very icky things. I just spent 6 days this week working on a contact hall. MDROs, VRE, MRSA, Cdiff all these things are carried from one room to another by healthcare workers. Or into the home of the healthcare worker where their families are not typically susceptible to these infections. Except I have an immunocompromised mother and a daughter who is hospitalized frequently.
I constantly wipe down surfaces at work. WOW units, door handles, sink faucets, etc. I do not cross contaminate patients and I dont carry work clothing into my home until it has been washed. My shoes never enter my house. Im not going to introduce infection to my family and Im not going to infect your loved one.

I don’t know how you do it. I’m in awe. Just reading that gives me anxiety.
 
In a hospital. Same as most people. Hospitals are full of very icky things. I just spent 6 days this week working on a contact hall. MDROs, VRE, MRSA, Cdiff all these things are carried from one room to another by healthcare workers. Or into the home of the healthcare worker where their families are not typically susceptible to these infections. Except I have an immunocompromised mother and a daughter who is hospitalized frequently.
I constantly wipe down surfaces at work. WOW units, door handles, sink faucets, etc. I do not cross contaminate patients and I dont carry work clothing into my home until it has been washed. My shoes never enter my house. Im not going to introduce infection to my family and Im not going to infect your loved one.

Whenever I have worked with contact patients, we always gowned and gloved. If I was contaminating my clothing, I was doing something wrong.

I have no problem with you being extra cautious. I’d just never heard of anyone actually having an extra washing machine for it. Honestly, it just seems a bit of overkill to me.
 
Whenever I have worked with contact patients, we always gowned and gloved. If I was contaminating my clothing, I was doing something wrong.

I have no problem with you being extra cautious. I’d just never heard of anyone actually having an extra washing machine for it. Honestly, it just seems a bit of overkill to me.

I have a friend in nursing school and right in the middle of clinicals. She puts her robe in her laundry room in the morning and comes in that door, changes and puts her uniform immediately in the washer. She goes to the shower and puts on clean clothes and then washes her robe with the uniform. Her instructor told her that was a bit of over kill. I would imagine the extra washer would blow her mind!

But I get the need for caution too. I am sure as nurses, y’all see some scary stuff and are terrified of taking it home with you.
 
Whenever I have worked with contact patients, we always gowned and gloved. If I was contaminating my clothing, I was doing something wrong.

I have no problem with you being extra cautious. I’d just never heard of anyone actually having an extra washing machine for it. Honestly, it just seems a bit of overkill to me.
A used washing machine is like $50. It isnt like I bought another front loading Samsung with pedestal. In any event I do glove, gown, and mask with faceshield (for trachs) because no matter how careful you are the stuff gets everywhere.
In any event I worked 15 years in EMS where you never knew what you were carrying. I bought the washing machine then. If its overkill then its overkill. Im not taking that stuff home and Im not spreading it around hospitals
 
A used washing machine is like $50. It isnt like I bought another front loading Samsung with pedestal. In any event I do glove, gown, and mask with faceshield (for trachs) because no matter how careful you are the stuff gets everywhere.
In any event I worked 15 years in EMS where you never knew what you were carrying. I bought the washing machine then. If its overkill then its overkill. Im not taking that stuff home and Im not spreading it around hospitals
I don't think it's overkill at all. I think it's brilliant. My nephew and his wife are both paramedics, and they do the exact same thing. They have managed to protect my brother who is battling cancer and is immunocompromised from catching any of the germs they might bring home.
 

GET A DISNEY VACATION QUOTE

Dreams Unlimited Travel is committed to providing you with the very best vacation planning experience possible. Our Vacation Planners are experts and will share their honest advice to help you have a magical vacation.

Let us help you with your next Disney Vacation!





Top