Plane Passenger Makes Dinner Mid-Flight, Tries To Defend Herself After Being Berated Online

Not everyone loves airplane food, to the point that it’s been the subject of hundreds of cliché bits from comedians. So many travelers have probably thought of bringing something to eat with them instead. An influencer shared a video of her making herself a meal while on a ten hour flight, seemingly unaware that other passengers would not appreciate her bringing what appeared to be three boiled eggs with her.

Commenters were quick to call her out and share their thoughts on airplane etiquette. We got in touch with her via email and she was kind enough to share some more details.

Bored Panda got in touch with Jess Marra and she was kind enough to share some more details with us about her flight. "Plane food has never really been my thing, and with allergies, I prefer bringing my own meals—especially on longer flights. Most of the time I’ll plan ahead and grab something easy to-go. But on this particular day, things were a bit hectic. I booked the flight last-minute (literally the day before), was scrambling to get out the door, and just ended up tossing whatever I could find in my fridge into my bag. Zero planning, pure chaos. I think people forget (or maybe never knew?) that you can bring your own food through TSA—as long as you follow the rules around liquids. Totally legal!"

"Once we were in the air and meal service started, I just quietly passed on the airline dinner and opened up my own. The now-infamous "knife" was actually part of the dinnerware provided when you fly Delta Premium—real cutlery, white tablecloth and all. No smuggling involved," she shared.

"When I started assembling the salad, I realized it was kind of ridiculous in the most hilarious way. I’m fully capable of laughing at myself and totally get that making a DIY arugula moment at cruising altitude is a bit over the top. But I was nestled in the window seat next to my husband, totally out of anyone’s way, and no one around us even noticed. I do feel bad that the gentleman behind me had an accidental cameo with the angle my phone was propped up -- hopefully he can forgive me. Meanwhile, most people were busy eating their own meals… which actually had an odor so strong it certainly masked anything else happening on that airbus."

A quick glance at the comments did show that some people really took their second-hand rage all too far. "The reaction has been completely over the top. I expected some light trolling, but it quickly spiraled into full-on hate, with DMs that were disturbing—including a few threats. The internet is a cruel place when people lose sight of reality hiding behind a screen. It seems like once something goes viral, people lose all context and jump in with whatever outrage is trending. But the reality is… bringing hard-boiled eggs on a plane isn’t even unusual. Airport shops sell them. Airlines serve them. This same flight even offered eggs for breakfast! So it’s a bit bizarre how this turned into the scandal of the week. Would I do it again? 100% yes. That’s something I’ve been doing and will continue to do—it just works better for me. Would I go chef mode again at 35,000 feet? Probably not. I can laugh about it now, but yeah... next time I’ll keep it simple with a sandwich. "

Bringing snacks along on a journey can feel like stocking a survival kit for your palate, but a little courtesy helps keep all parties happy. First, consider your fellow travelers. This applies to a lot more than food, but the smells from what someone brings are the focus of today. In other words, that garlic-heavy dip or strong cheese might delight your taste buds, but within the confines of an airplane cabin or bus train car, it's likely to lead to sideways looks (or, worse, a chorus of nose-pinching). If you must bring potent smells, save them for a private picnic or enjoy them at home before you go.

Packaging is almost as vital as the snack itself. Good containers and resealable bags prevent spills from turning seats or backpacks into culinary crime scenes. Store napkins or wet wipes with your treats, nothing says "thoughtful traveler" like offering a crumb-free seat and being ready to tidy up should you suffer an accidental spill. Even if your food has no smell, it’s still nice to feel clean and secure on a longer trip. It’s easy to think that it’s someone else's problem, but if everyone did this, every single plane, train and bus would be a mess.

Sharing is a friendly way to bond, but invite first before serving your home-cooked treats. Your colleague might look at your home-cooked sushi in wonder, or suspicion, depending on your stomach's adventurism. A polite "Would you like a bite?" is respectful of personal taste and dietary restrictions. If the response is no, don't be offended, after all, your adventurous kimchi or ultra-hot jerky might be too exotic for all tastes.

Timing is another key to always consider. Chewing loudly on a red-eye flight or crunching chips in a quiet coach can attract unwanted attention. Opt for softer snacks, nuts, dried fruit, granola bars, or plan to snack when ambient noise covers your munching. Jess Marra’s meal wasn’t perhaps “loud,” as it was mostly a salad, but the crunching of celery was surely getting on someone’s nerves.

On the other hand, it’s also worth considering the fact that there are good reasons someone might not be able to eat whatever the airline provides. Diets are a good example of this, particularly if a person has a very specific list of things that they need to eat. Humans need food, asking someone to go without food for, say, ten hours, because you’ll be inconvenienced a bit for 10% of the trip is also unreasonable. In general, travel can often bring out the worst in people, so it’s sometimes worth grounding yourself before you judge.

We also asked Jess Mara what she thought about some comments being so truly aggressive. "I think people are quick to judge because unfortunately these days on the internet, for so many people, criticism is the natural response over kindness. We are living in a world of screens and connectivity unlike any other. The internet is too quick to point out flaws, quirks, idiosyncrasies – a lot of times unwarranted. I see it all the time in response to content and it makes me lose faith in humanity."

That being said, perhaps avoid the tuna salad and boiled eggs if possible. Respect while traveling is a two way street. It’s important to remember that different people have different needs. Sure, boiled eggs don’t smell great, but it’s not the end of the world. At the same time, when you know that you’ll be around people for a long time, it’s still good to consider what sort of food you’ll be eating. If you showed up to a date and your counterpart had been wolfing down garlic bread for awhile, you’d probably not be happy either.