Comments on: Weekly Roundup – Porn in the Airport Edition

By: MITBeta @ Don't Feed The Alligators

MITBeta @ Don't Feed The Alligators — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 01:28:42 +0000

I personally would never buy a mag like this in the airport — it’s far cheaper to subscribe, after all. However, if you don’t like what someone else is reading on a plane, DON’T LOOK! Yes, I realize that plane’s can be pretty tight quarters, but YOU can choose where to put your eyes. If you can’t control yourselves, that’s your problem.

By: Randy

Randy — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 19:45:53 +0000

Flying back from Seattle a few weeks ago, and a college age kid starts reading a playboy he just bought while we’re waiting for them to start boarding…

People can read whatever they want, I guess, but they really should be more considerate of the people around them…

By: Michael

Michael — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 16:16:42 +0000

I was making a connection in Philadelphia 15 years ago, and the guy in front of me at the magazine shop was not only going to purchase one of these magazines, but was flipping through the pages while waiting in line to it. He’d also opened and consumed half a pack of (still-unpurchased) gum while waiting in line. He was also wearing sunglasses. Apparently the word of the day was “obnoxious”.

By: Mary

Mary — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 13:38:41 +0000

I have experienced the discomfort of having a male passenger in my seating row reading porn. It was a NY to L.A. flight and somewhere over the Midwest, he pulled put an editorially driven adult publication. I think it was Penthouse Letters.

While he did his utmost to fold the magazine into fourths, so only one column was facing up at the time, it was still disquieting for a number of reasons. Firstly, so I’ve learned, there are graphic photos that accompany the stories and letters. Secondly, when the pages need to be turned, the magazine must be opened a bit more fully. For these two reasons I caught far more glimpses of naked male and female flesh than I planned.

Most importantly, this experience was so uncomfortable because of the effect that reading erotica had on the passenger. He was wearing summer weight work trousers–probably a polyester blend–that were not particularly form fitting. Therefore, as he grew more and more excited, his erection was notably twitching down the leg of his pants.

The worst aspect of whole scenario was when he got up to use the restroom. He inched his way from the window seat to the aisle while facing me and the other person in our row. Moving right in front of me, his engorgement was quite large and clearly visible. Thankfully, when he returned from the restroom, he seemed to have calmed down.

I suspect he was some sort of exhibitionist because: (1) he was reading porn on a plane, (2) it would have been easy enough to put blanket on his lap while seated, and (3) he seemed to be flagrantly displaying his erection by facing us as he left our row.

For the avoidance of doubt, I am not a prude. I have watched adult films in the privacy of my home. I’ll even admit that when my fellow passenger left the row, the obvious size of his erect manhood spawned a licentious thought in my brain. However, his behavior remained inappropriate, and a less open-minded person would have reported him to the flight attendants.

I’m hoping that this was my first and last brush with porn on a plane, but with the internet coming to flights, perhaps it isn’t.

By: Leslie

Leslie — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 02:43:16 +0000

Next time you sit down in your airplane seat and feel something sticky on the armrest… you’ll know what it is!

By: Shmuley

Shmuley — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 20:48:52 +0000

When I enlisted in the US Navy, 160 of us shipped out from Birmingham Alabama on the same day. At least half of all enlistees purchased one of those magazines at the airport to read on the plane. I didn’t buy one myself, just because I knew they would all get pitched in the trash as soon as we got to Great Lakes. There were some mighty unhappy people on that plane sitting next to an enlistee who was getting his last glimpse of a woman for the next 2 1/2 months. The stewardesses were at a complete loss for what to do.

Now that it’s been over 10 years, it seems pretty funny to me.

By: Mrs. Micah

Mrs. Micah — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 17:38:42 +0000

You’re going to get so much crazy SE trafic on this post. Just you wait.

By: Julia

Julia — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 17:12:34 +0000

I’d say it’s far, FAR more likely that you’ll sit next to someone watching a movie with a sex scene in it than sit next to someone reading a porn magazine. In all my years of frequent travel, I’ve never seen someone whip out a porn magazine.

Somewhat related, I hear that some organization(s?) is making protesting because of an airline’s plan to offer internet access but not block porn sites on planes. If someone wanted to watch porn on their laptop, you would certainly not need internet access to do it.

By: Sandwichartist

Sandwichartist — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 16:29:11 +0000

Seems like you wouldn’t really want to break the ice with someone like that.

By: Tyler

Tyler — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 14:25:07 +0000

It might be an interesting exercise, if you find yourself sitting next to someone enjoying thier purchase on the plane, to lean over their shoulder and make innocent comments about the “models” in the photos.
I’d think this would either make the person so uncomfortable that they store the magazine or, if nothing else, at least break the ice.

By: Pinyo

Pinyo — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 14:02:15 +0000

Those mags been around the airport for a while. Yeah, I would be embarrassed just sitting next to someone “reading” it.

By: nickel

nickel — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 13:39:56 +0000

James: Yep, moot point… That’s why “for the articles” was in quotes, as was “reading.” I was just trying to be a bit less direct.

By: James

James — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 13:24:48 +0000

I would hazard a guess that it isn’t purchased to read on the plane, nor is it often purchased “for the articles.” I’m sure most of it is used in the hotels of men traveling to help with self-gratification. Or is that a moot point?

By: tom

tom — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 13:06:10 +0000

man… i’d be embarrased to just purchase that anywhere in public, let alone at the airport.