Airline Madness: Annoying passengers vs. Disgusting bathrooms

Airline Madness is Gadling’s tournament of airline annoyances. You can catch up on all of the previous tournament action here.

We open up Airline Madness with our top seed, Annoying passengers, taking on the #16 seed, Disgusting bathrooms. Both peeves enter the tournament with a track record of bothering fliers for as long as commercial planes have been in the air. Whether you’re left covering your ears or holding your nose, you’re unhappy either way.

Read the full bios of both of these Airline Madness competitors below and vote for the one that you believe deserves to move on to the second round. We’re on our way to crowning a champion and it’s up to you to decide the winner!

#1 Annoying passengers
Annoying passengers come in all shapes, sizes and aromas. Sometimes they’re the chatty seat companions who don’t know how to take the hint when you’ve put on your headphones, opened up your computer or closed your eyes for a nap. Why won’t they just shut up? Other times they’re loudly talking to their friends and preventing you from hearing your own thoughts. Worse yet, they can be gassy or just downright malodorous. Did they roll around in manure before boarding the flight? Why are they’re clothes stained? Frankly, everyone on the plane is crazy and all that you can do is hope that you have a row to yourself.

#16 Disgusting bathrooms
Why are airplane bathrooms so wet? The sinks barely dispense any water and the toilets violently suck everything straight down, yet every square inch of that tiny space is damper than the Everglades. How does that happen? Well, turbulence and bad aim are a dangerous combination. Add to that the odors that people create after dining at a Chili’s Express and you have the recipe for a wet, smelly and cramped bathroom that’s shaking while you try to evacuate your bowels.

So, which airline annoyance bothers you more? Vote for the pet peeve that you think is the worst. Is it chatty/stinky/inconsiderate passengers or gross/wet/smelly bathrooms? Vote now and share your thoughts in the comments!
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First round voting ends at 11:59PM EDT on Friday, March 16.

More Airline Madness:
#2 Legroom vs. #15 Inefficient boarding procedures
#3 Lack of free food/prices for food vs. #14 Cold cabin/no blankets
#4 Baggage Fees vs. #13 Obese people who take up two seats
#5 Lack of overhead space vs. Inattentive parents of crying babies
#6 Change fees/no free standby vs. #11 Lack of personal entertainment/charging for entertainment
#7 Rude airline staff vs. #10 Having to turn off electronic devices during takeoff & landing
#8 People who recline their seats vs. #9 People who get mad at people who recline their seats
Hotel Madness: Gadling’s tournament of airline annoyances

Catch up on all the Airline Madness here.