Plane Passenger Allegedly Caught Smoking Weed in Bathroom

A different kind of smoke than usual was present in the cabin of a recent flight, according to one displeased plane passenger.

On Tuesday, Aug. 5, a Reddit user took to the forum to share their story, claiming that a fellow traveler was caught smoking marijuana in the bathroom, causing drama with the crew and major delays.

They allege that UA flight 1679, a regularly scheduled trip from San Francisco International (SFO) to Cancún, was initially delayed due to “technical issues.” 

But as they waited for “paperwork to get completed, someone smoked weed in the front bathroom.”

As a result, the smoking passenger was removed. Then, the plane sat still for about another 40 minutes for the crew to “figure out what to do.”

“[The] crew was concerned they got exposed so we deplaned and are awaiting new crew,” the original poster (OP) alleges. 

The OP claims they heard the pilot say: “I have 30 years left of my career at United, I’m not willing to risk getting drug tested when I get to Houston.” 

The poster claims passengers sat in the terminal at SFO with no sign of a replacement crew.

“Original departure time 8:50 a.m.,” the OP wrote. “Current estimated departure 12:30 p.m.”

For the inconvenience, the poster says passengers were given a $15 meal voucher and they brought the snack cart out to the gate. 

Flight Aware indicates the plane eventually departed at 12:48 p.m. and arrived in Cancun at 8:05 p.m. local time.

United declined PEOPLE’s request for comment.

Smoking on airplanes has generally been banned on flights in the U.S. since 2000. While the recreational use of marijuana in California was legalized in 2016, cannabis remains illegal federally. Thus, the TSA does not permit cannabis, including edibles, on planes. 

For pilots, if marijuana is detected on a Department of Transportation or Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) drug test, their FAA-issued medical certificate may be revoked. This is the case even if a pilot’s state allows recreational marijuana. 

“Although some states have passed laws that permit the recreational use of Marijuana, the Medical Review Officer (MRO) who reviews your test results will not verify your drug test as negative based on recreational use,” the FAA wrote. 

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In the comment section of the original post, some users applauded the decision made by the United crew.

“I don’t blame the crew at all. Good move on their part,” one commenter wrote. 

Others thought they were overreacting. 

“The idea that the flight crew was going to test positive due to second hand exposure on an airplane when someone smoked weed in the bathroom is absolutely hilarious,” someone wrote.

Though, most agreed the passenger who allegedly caused the issue should face the consequences.

“Should be an automatic lifetime ban across all airlines. Play stupid games, win stupid prizes,” a comment with 636 upvotes said.