Miss Manners: I wanted to refuse my drink after seeing what the flight attendant did

"DEAR MISS MANNERS: I am writing this on a flight to Dallas after the flight attendant just served my soft drink. Is it just me, or are other airline passengers just as irritated by the way these drinks are served? More often than not, the attendant will stand in the aisle, check the drink order list, then grab the top of the cup with their fingers around its lip before handing it to the passenger."

"How do you know what the flight attendant training entails? Perhaps the safety of protecting your pants from spills is prioritized over cup-lip hygiene. To be clear, Miss Manners does not condone the practice. But if you are squeamish, she would suggest that you not look too closely at either the passing of the cups or the other sanitary practices on airplanes. That is, if you still want those pretzels."

"She has two cats, and unfortunately I discovered that she keeps her two litter boxes positioned in common spaces. One was in the living room, adjacent to the kitchen, and the other was very close to the dining room table. Both cats were allowed on the dining table and on the kitchen countertops. There was cat litter on the floor near the boxes, and the surfaces in the dining room and kitchen were not clean."

Airline drink service can involve attendants handling the cup lip when handing drinks, a practice that many passengers find unhygienic but that may prioritize spill prevention. Passengers who are squeamish about hygiene should avoid scrutinizing cup handling if they wish to accept refreshments, or decline politely. A houseguest encountered litter boxes in common areas, cats on dining tables and countertops, scattered litter, and unclean surfaces, which caused significant discomfort and led to leaving early. Expressing concerns before or during a visit, setting clear boundaries, or declining the assignment could provide alternatives to tolerating unsanitary conditions.

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