Sure, one person’s deposits into an airplane toilet don’t weigh much, but what about the pee from 200 people? Japanese airline ANA thinks full bladders lead to airplanes being weighed down by excrement, so it is implementing a wacky new policy: pee before you fly.
The airline is putting up signs at airport gates asking passengers to go to the bathroom. So-called “loo attendants” stand guard as well, asking potential pee-ers if they need to take a trip to the restroom. Bathrooms will still be on the plane, of course, in case of bathroom emergency. But ANA hopes that its shaming tactics will cut down on passengers’ overall weight, in turn reducing the weight of the plane and lowering fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions.
If the bathroom policy’s four week trial is effective, ANA will continue it indefinitely. But if the airline really wants to discourage passengers from peeing, it may want to take a hint from RyanAir’s CEO, who recently proposed charging for bathroom use in the air.
