Don’t even try to light a cigarette on a plane today. The plane will land immediately to a nearest airport, and you’ll end up in jail.
Let’s see whether you remember this right? Do you know there was a time when the “Fasten Seatbelt” sign was next to one of the popular signs? That was the click-click-click sound of a hundred Zippo lighters.
Can’t be right? But there was an era.
I know you remember this if you flew before the 1990s. The cabin basically had no sterile tube of recycled air.
It was literally a flying lounge.
Okay… this one’s genius. Any person in that lounge could enjoy a steak dinner, a scotch, and most importantly, a Marlboro Red while cruising at 30,000 feet. Zero issues.
That is unbelievable, right? Yes, nowadays. But it was totally normal in those days.
Honestly, it is funny to think that we literally lock 200 people in a pressurized metal tube. Plus, filled it with smoke for six hours. Lol.
But we actually did it. You still can’t believe? Go and check. There were little metal ashtrays to prove it.
The “Non-Smoking Section” Joke
Based on the airline company, they called it an option that passengers could choose.
You can book a seat in the Smoking or Non-Smoking section as you like. Actually, that was just for an optical illusion.
The funny thing was that the barrier between fresh air and the chimney was basically thinner than a fabric curtain.
Or sometimes the barrier was just a little plastic card on the headrest.
Based on my experience on planes, I remember once I got super unlucky.
I literally had to sit in the last row of the Non-smoking section. My Gosh, that was a terrible experience.
So simple! I became the air filter for the people in the smoking section that literally sits behind me.
Funny part is, that was basically like having a Peeing section in a swimming pool. Hahaha.
Smoke didn’t obey those imaginary lines.
The entire cabin was a shared ecosystem of blue haze as soon as the movie started. Lol.
Literally, the only difference was that the people in the back held cigarettes. And the people in the front were inhaling them. Lol.
The Little Metal Ash-Bin (The Hardware)
Back in the day, every single armrest had a feature that now cannot be seen. That was the built-in ashtray.
An ashtray was basically a tiny, rectangular metal box with a flip-up lid. I know now you can remember it.
It had that unique sound. Clack-clack. Clack-clack. Kids used that as a fidget spinner.
Just think you forgot to book a seat earlier and had to board late. Once you sat, you tried to open the ashtray and it was literally filled with crushed butts or a wad of chewing gum from the previous flight. Ewwww……
That was the reality. But actually, the most confusing placement was in the lavatory.
You could see smoking-prohibited signs in the bathroom. But there was literally an ashtray mounted right on the door. Loool.
It was next to the sink. It was like “Don’t do it, but…… if you do, please don’t throw it in the trash bin and set the plane on fire.” Hahaha.
Dining in a Fog
Eating on a plane was such a unique experience in 1980s. But how?
Yes, airlines still provide hot meals like lasagna, roast beef, or chicken.
But according to me, enjoying a complete dinner is ……… Slicing your steak through a thick cloud of second-hand smoke. Lol right?
The smell was unique. It was basically a mixture of reheated coffee, jet fuel, cheap cologne, and stale tobacco.
Once you landed and waited for your baggage to claim, you was literally smelled like you spent 3 days in a dive bar. Lol.
The scent was attached to your hair, jacket, and clothes inside your suitcase.
You can easily tell when someone came aftera long haul flight. They carried that unique aroma.
The Poor Flight Attendants
Today, we complain about legroom. But in the 1970s, flight attendants were doing such a hard job.
They had to work for 12 hours per shift inside a smoke cabin. No escape for them. They walked through the aisle smiling.
They smoked cigarettes without even holding one.
Just look at the interior of an older airplane. You could see the evidence of what I told.
The ceiling tiles and wall panels were white and eventually turned yellow over the years because of nicotine.
The famous moment of the flight was the “Ding”. That was the moment the plane reached cruising altitude. No smoking light flicked off.
You would hear the shhhk sound of lighters igniting at once. That sound meant the fog was rolling in. What a moment, what a time, right?
A Breath of Fresh Air
The cigarette bans came in in the late 1980s and 1990s.
Now the air on a plane is super clean. Lighting up is literally a crazy thing to do.
But if you get a chance to fly on an older aircraft, just look at the armrest. The mighty ashtray should be in there.
That will remind you of the golden age of flying smokers. Lol.