Walked on broken glass on plane

[DC3]

While I can't eleminate all risks, I try to minimise them where I can. Shoes on, when in the aisle. That's just me.

Cut-up feet isn't a good way to start/end a holiday/trip, regardless of where the fault lies. But each to their own, as I say.

 

[JohnK]

While I can't eleminate all risks, I try to minimise them where I can. Shoes on, when in the aisle. That's just me.

Cannot understand why anyone would want to walk around barefoot or even with socks on in an aircraft cabin. Broken glass is quite serious but one could also step on cans which may have jagged edges and food that has fallen off tray into aisle that could be quite squishy. Hate the feeling.

 

[vicsta]

Broken glass on the floor is unacceptable in any facility, regardless of whether the client wears shoes or not.
Heck, last week someone even sued a church in Springvale, Melbourne for failing to notice a "wet leaf" that caused her to slip
Woman sues St Athanasios Greek Orthodox Church after she slipped and fell on a wet leaf | Daily Mail Online

In my opinion, broken glass is a pretty obvious hazard and I'm surprised it was not taken more seriously

 

[Stoopidsteve]

I am with the crowd that says it is insanity to walk around in bare feet.

It is, in my humble opinion, a very probable situation that there could be broken glass on an airplane floor. An aircraft is a small metal tube where pax get served beverages in glasses that have to be perched on wobbly tables, and that tube flies through turbulence. That many glasses don't break every flight is a small miracle.

Pax such as the OP who insist on walking around in the dark in such an environment with bare feet are not being reasonable. And in cases such as this the OP is then responsible for soiling the cabin floor with copious amounts of his blood. That is a tad more dangerous than the urine on the toilet floor! And so much harder for the crew or cleaning staff to get rid of.

Anyway, having said all that, a few hours ago on a trans-pac flight I did myself go to the toilet mid flight just wearing socks

Edit: To the OP, I am not attacking you here - just voicing another viewpoint. I like your open and sensible attitude, please keep posting in AFF

Seems like the one cabin crew who blamed the OP for not wearing shoes shares the same opinion ... Damn you OP for daring to bleed, and being inconvenient to the the cabin crew and cleaners with his haemoglobin-laden effusions!

For the worst of cabin crew, life would be perfect if only PAX would:
stay in their seats, sitting upright so no pesky feet or elbows overhanging the aisle (yes I realise this happens less in J or F)
wear heat-proof clothes in case of drink/food spillage
wear crash helmets (in case of trip hazards or luggage)
have steel cap boots (in case of glass/cans/ other pax sticking their feet out, but only when boarding and disembarking because that's the only time they should be out of seats) (but definitely not steel cap thongs if they want to get into lounge)
eat and drink what's put in front of them when it's put in front of them, and be happy with that

Notwithstanding all that, OP's right, berating the crew there and then is not helpful (they are human and have feelings). As others have said, subsequent to the flight, contacting Customer service directly and laying out the facts is important in service failures like this. That would have been my course of action. Whether OP is "entitled" of could reasonably expect additional compensation I have no views on.

 

[RooFlyer]

Cannot understand why anyone would want to walk around barefoot or even with socks on in an aircraft cabin. Broken glass is quite serious but one could also step on cans which may have jagged edges and food that has fallen off tray into aisle that could be quite squishy. Hate the feeling.

Well for me, I walk around in socks (long haul only) because I can't be bothered/don't want to disturb others by retrieving shoes from the overhead lockers every time I get up, which is reasonably frequent. I have NEVER seen or encountered broken glass left in the aisle or other accessible areas, nor jagged cans, squishy food etc etc. Mind you, I do choose my cabin with some care .

Sorry, to have to dress in case of broken glass to me is such a silly level of risk aversion as to have never been contemplated by me in a couple of million miles of flying. As I mentioned up-thread, do the 'should wear shoes' brigade also were gloves in case of vomit, food etc in the seat pocket? Wear face masks in case of airborne pathogens? Wear thick woollen clothing in case of hot drink spills?

Sometimes ya just gotta live on the edge ....

 

[OATEK]

Well for me, I walk around in socks (long haul only) because I can't be bothered/don't want to disturb others by retrieving shoes from the overhead lockers every time I get up, which is reasonably frequent. I have NEVER seen or encountered broken glass left in the aisle or other accessible areas, nor jagged cans, squishy food etc etc. Mind you, I do choose my cabin with some care .

Sorry, to have to dress in case of broken glass to me is such a silly level of risk aversion as to have never been contemplated by me in a couple of million miles of flying. As I mentioned up-thread, do the 'should wear shoes' brigade also were gloves in case of vomit, food etc in the seat pocket? Wear face masks in case of airborne pathogens? Wear thick woollen clothing in case of hot drink spills?

Sometimes ya just gotta live on the edge ....

I similarly have traversed the aisles of aircraft in nothing more than airline socks over personal socks on many occasions - not to keep urine out, but just to be peeled off near landing taking all the detritus collected in flight with them. This only changed when I received my Marimeko styled slippers on AY a few years ago that I carry with me on other airlines, and typically use as I move around the cabin after taking off my shoes. They have kept me free from glass, squishy food and other obstacles for several years, and I look forward to updating them in April!

On a serious note, broken glass in an aircraft surely should be a major concern of the FAs, and I would expect every effort to be made to clear it away in flight. If as it seems this was not done, then IMHO the airline has not shown duty of care.

 

[prozac]

I note the OP was not complaining nor asking advice, merely asking views.

I am a leave my shoes on flyer. I would not wish to be in an emergency tip-toeing through the burning jetfuel wishing I had remembered to put my shoes seconds before disaster. Extreme but I only say it to highlight the risk small as it is. Would I go to the toilet sans footware? Yuk, no way despite the calls for calm from the medicos on here.

From a medical perspective I would also argue the risk of getting "stuff" into the millions of small fissures/scratches that exist in your skin. That's right, your feet are not designed like galoshes and may actually have small cuts and abrasions invisible to the naked eye. Am I a germaphobe (thanks Donald)? Not really, but I suffer recurrent cellulitis which is easily activated by the wrong sort of germs getting onto the skin, hence my caution being from personal experience. If I want someone to p1ss on me I want it to be someone I know. Otherwise still yuk.

Should the airline staff have pulled out all stops to search for glass after the incident? Absolutely, and it was completely negligent not to.

I think the offer of a bottle of wine was mean and thoughtless. You may not be able to take it with you (customs) and they are encouraging you to drink more on the plane perhaps. An offer of perfume or such might have been more appropriate imo.

 

[Jo145]

You sound reasonable and acknowledge your part in this unfortunate accident. In the crew's defence, you didn't see the broken glass so there is a good chance they didn't either. It shouldn't have been up to you to pick up the remaining glass, but please don't take "further action". I for one do not want Australia becoming the litigious society the USA is.

 

[straitman]

This talk of shoes etc is nonsense. There shouldn't be glass on the floor in the first place, and regardless of who's fault the glass was, QF should have to take responsibility for it. If airlines give out slippers/socks before flights, then passengers would likely think they were acceptable footwear throughout the flight. Would slippers or socks have prevented the outcome? No.

I agree with all of your post except the first sentence which in IMHO is incorrect though I understand your logic.

Having travelled enough times and seem enough cabin and toilet floor mess there is not a chance I would wander around in less than shoes. Consider that these are effectively high use public areas and even if they look clean they gave been walked on by literally thousands of people and cleaned at a bare minimum.

 

[Harpoon]

1. The worst thing about wearing socks to the bathroom is after u get back, the damp patches on the bottom of your socks. Eww.
2. I would never go barefoot to the bathroom - see point 1.
3. Broken glass is not a hazard in the aisle I would expect to have to watch out for. Vomit, yes. USB cables, shoes, jumpers and other trip hazards, yes. Broken glass, no.
4. If I were OP, I would be writing a polite yet stern complaint to Qantas and see what comes of it. But highlight to them the fact that the OP had to pick up the glass after the incident as the crew clearly had zero care factor for cleaning it up properly. That's the worst part of OPs story.

Side Story - On my most recent SIN-MEL flight, a child in the seat front of me vomited in the aisle after eating a magnum icecream. The crew were clearly annoyed and left it there for a good 5 mins before cleaning it up. At least a dozen people saw it at the last minute and hopped over it luckily or it could have been a disaster with footprints and stink all the way down the aisle.... But I was genuinely shocked how long it took for the crew, after coming over to inspect it, took to go and get stuff to clean it up. I complained to SQ via email about the lack of care shown by the crew. Just thought of this story given the OPs experience.

 

[Tassieoptom]

Thanks for sharing Neil, i agree with many of the comments and feel there is mixed blame here. I too am disappointed that all broken glass was not cleaned up after it was made aware of. As to the large amount of comments about never walking in bare feet on a plane i have a sideways comment to make, i have had glass embedded in my foot, through my leather soled RM Williams boot while walking a Sydney street. So even shoes do not guarantee full safety from glass. Just saying.

Hi All,
Earlier this year I was traveling SYD->SIN on Qantas in J when I stood on some broken glass while on the way to the loo, only 20 minutes after takeoff. My foot was bleeding very profusely and the cabin crew were great, expect one who told me off for being in bare feet #thereisalwaysone. On the way back (after the great purser fixed me up), I stopped and picked up about 6 more pieces on the way to my seat and gave them to the crew.

I was happy with the bottle of cheap wine they gave me but I was urged by others to take it further.

I just wanted to ask what others would have done.

Thanks
Neil

 

[sietes]

I personally wear shoes to the bathroom on an airplace, but not from fear of treading on urine... I have found some far more gruesome things on public bathroom floors in my time. With reference to the OP this hygiene preference is beside the point.

I have also stepped into the aisle in socks before without any thought of checking for dangerous objects such as broken glass. I don't think that it is reasonable for anyone to check for such a thing. They do not ban open toe shoe or thongs from being worn on airplanes. I do think it is reasonable to expect that the airline has a responsibility to keep the airplane free of these hazards. I would expect that if the OP had to bear any medical expenses that Qantas would cover all costs as well as the cost of the inconveniece. If the first aid provided by the FA's was sufficient then i would say that the bottle of wine provided also would have done the trick by way of apology.

With regard to the clearing of the remaining broken glass, I would expect that cleaning this hazard up would be a priority for the FA's and would take preference over serving a customer just as it doesn in any bar/restaurance/cafe etc on the ground.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

You sound reasonable and acknowledge your part in this unfortunate accident. In the crew's defence, you didn't see the broken glass so there is a good chance they didn't either. It shouldn't have been up to you to pick up the remaining glass, but please don't take "further action". I for one do not want Australia becoming the litigious society the USA is.

The difference is that the crew are responsible for ensuring a safe environment on board. A passenger shouldn't be expected to look for broken glass or other hazards, but by nature of their role, that is something crew should be aware of.

Litigation has a place. It provides incentive for companies to adhere to the law. If someone has been injured and incurred costs, why shouldn't they be able to recover those damages?

 

[Onepoppa]

Thanks for sharing Neil, i agree with many of the comments and feel there is mixed blame here. I too am disappointed that all broken glass was not cleaned up after it was made aware of. As to the large amount of comments about never walking in bare feet on a plane i have a sideways comment to make, i have had glass embedded in my foot, through my leather soled RM Williams boot while walking a Sydney street. So even shoes do not guarantee full safety from glass. Just saying.

I really don't know why there is any problem with Qantas's liability. If there was glass on the floor when the passenger boarded Qantas was liable, and if it occurred after takeoff they were also liable. The passenger is an invitee at law and entitled to compensation End of story. The acceptance of a bottle of bubbly by the passenger would not absolve the airline of its legal liability.

 

[Ambo]

Hi all,
Sorry if there has been said or not, I have not read through all the pages thoroughly. I think it is very disappointing that there was glass in the aisle and that it was not cleaned up but apart from that, it more an unfortunate accident. However, at the end of the day, always wear shoes.

If you have however you have tripped or slipped onto the glass, that is a different story.

What I guess I'm trying to say is that if you have taken every reasonable precaution to avoid an injury, and the injury occurs, then that is something that should be taken further. In this case, the shoes could have been worn and you choose not to wear them, then I think people don't need to take it further and just accept that while it shouldn't have happened, there was more that could have been done on their part. (Not that I'm saying the OP is blaming everyone else, I'm not, just a perspective).

 

[DC3]

Having read through the above posts, establishing liability/blame is all well and good after the event, but whoever is determined to be in the "right" or "wrong" doesn't really affect the fact that my foot is now cut up by glass, etc., for that holiday, does it?

Slightly OT, but I see people walking/running barefoot in the street/shopping centres, not seeming to be interested in whether they will end up with a glass injury (or doggy-do between their toes ).

 

[RooFlyer]

You sound reasonable and acknowledge your part in this unfortunate accident. In the crew's defence, you didn't see the broken glass so there is a good chance they didn't either. It shouldn't have been up to you to pick up the remaining glass, but please don't take "further action". I for one do not want Australia becoming the litigious society the USA is.

Remember it appears that the broken glass was 'left over' from the prior flight, according to the description by the OP. The fact that the plane had been 'cleaned' and the glass remained, makes it all that much worse in my view.

But even if it did happen very early in the OPs flight, how do you miss something like that? What happened to your glass, sir/madam? Did it fall onto the floor or have you hidden it?

 

[Milboo]

The difference is that the crew are responsible for ensuring a safe environment on board. A passenger shouldn't be expected to look for broken glass or other hazards, but by nature of their role, that is something crew should be aware of.

Litigation has a place. It provides incentive for companies to adhere to the law. If someone has been injured and incurred costs, why shouldn't they be able to recover those damages?

Because the law of negligence is a lot more complex than simply being sue for damages if you're injured.

And the reason there are these hurdles is to stop vexatious and unmeritorius claims when there has been no fault/ nexus/ foreseeability/ duty of care.

And why? Otherwise insurance premiums would skyrocket or become unattainable and the consumer ultimately pays by ticket prices (in this instance) being increased to cover the risk to the company.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

And the reason there are these hurdles is to stop vexatious and unmeritorius claims when there has been no fault/ nexus/ foreseeability/ duty of care.

And why? Otherwise insurance premiums would skyrocket or become unattainable and the consumer ultimately pays by ticket prices (in this instance) being increased to cover the risk to the company.

If there are damages I'm not sure how the airline has much of a defense here under the Montreal Convention in this case. They may argue contributory negligence, but it wouldn't get the off the hook entirely even if they were successful in that line of argument.

The airline is already required to have their insurance for that purpose, no doubt included in the price of tickets.

 

[Muriel]

While you don't expect to find broken glass in the aisle - or anywhere on an aircraft. I think the onus is on passengers to wear some sort of footwear while travelling anywhere outside of their seat. You could try for compensation BUT, I don't fancy your chances. The other point is. Although aircraft are supposedly cleaned from whatever else may have been spilt down the aisles, it's more hygienic to wear some kind of footwear.