"He did the responsible thing": Doctor refusing midair emergency Reddit thread sparks intense debate on social media

Nearly two weeks ago, a mid-30-year-old doctor opened up on Reddit about his in-flight experience, which has now triggered a debate online. While his real name remains unknown, on Reddit, he is u/ThrowAwayFoodie22 and shared his anecdote on the r/AmItheAsshole community page on the social media platform.

The doctor mentioned how he was slightly drunk during a “long haul international flight” and declined to provide his expertise when there was an announcement that someone on the flight needed medical attention. She also added how a female co-passenger called him slurs for not doing his duty as a physician.

“She said I was an unbelievable AH [assh*le] and that if the passenger died it was my fault,” the doctor wrote on Reddit.

While it remains a mystery which airline he traveled on, or what happened to the ailing passenger, his refusal to provide assistance has now stirred controversy online. However, some defended him, saying helping under the influence of alcohol would have been the wrong decision.

In this regard, an X user stated how he did the “responsible” thing, under the comment section of @nickmmark’s tweet on the same.

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Internet has mixed reactions to a doctor refusing midair assistance to a patient

During the ongoing holiday season, a medical doctor “working as an internal medicine hospitalist at a major hospital” was flying business class, when he refused to help a passenger in need of medical care as he was slightly intoxicated. Recounting the incident, on Reddit, the doctor wrote:

"Recently, I was on a long-haul international flight. Usually, I sleep on flights, but this was during my waking hours so I decided to spend my time enjoying the inflight entertainment and free drinks. I had already been drinking even before the flight while I was in the lounge," the doctor began his story.

The man in his mid-30s added how he mentioned his profession to a female co-passenger in her mid-30s alongside engaging in small talk, before they started doing their own thing. According to the doctor, he was trying to watch a film and enjoy more of his drinks, when “an announcement was made asking if there was a doctor on flight.”

The Reddit thread that triggered the debate. (Image via Reddit/u/ThrowAwayFoodie22)

“Normally, I would present myself to the cabin crew and help out, but after several hours of boozing, I was pretty drunk. I was not able to think clearly and probably would have done more harm than good. I didn't react to the announcement at all,” he explained.

The physician further mentioned how his co-passenger alerted him about the announcement and he replied that someone else would help out or the crew would reach out to the medical support team on the ground. When she tried to convince him but failed, she called him “an unbelievable assh*le” and even threatened that if something bad happened to the ill person, it would be the fault of the doctor.

"I said listen lady, just because I'm a doctor doesn't mean that I'm on call 24/7 to provide medical care on demand. I work when I'm at the hospital, outside I'm just like everyone else and I'm entitled to drink and relax. She had a disgusted look on her face and didn't talk to me after that," the Reddit user added.

The medical personnel wrapped up by saying he was unsure what happened to the ailing passenger but assumed everything worked out fine as there were no other announcements. He also stated how during their exit, the co-passenger once again called him the same slur.

A doctor said that he doesn't drink on flights in case of emergencies. (Image via X/nickmmark)

The doctor concluded by writing:

“In my mind, I’m very clear that since I was intoxicated I could not provide medical assistance. I was drinking on my own time and there was no expectation that I would need to be sober. Doctors get to enjoy life too, I can’t stay sober on every flight just in case there’s an emergency.”

He also asked whether he was indeed an "assh*le" for not responding to a midair emergency and sought external opinions. As soon as the thread became viral, netizens debated whether he had made the right decision or not.

While most supported him, citing that a drunk person, in particular a physician, would in fact, do more harm than good, others judged him for not explaining to the lady why he was declining help and rather responding rudely to her, which added to the confusion. Here are some of the comments in this regard.

Netizens slammed the doctor for mishandling the in-flight emergency. (Image via Reddit/LuckyMacAndCheese/MagicCarpet5846)

Reddit users called out the physician for not responding correctly to the co-passenger during a midair crisis. (Image via Reddit/Surleighgrl/conscious_drawer8356)

Opinions also poured in on Twitter:

Apart from the public opinion, Medicare insurance advisor and travel agency owner Elisa Karen Bell also gave her expert advice to Newsweek saying that the physician “handled the situation appropriately.”

However, she too said that he should have provided further explanation about why he refused to help his co-passenger understand his situation better and give him the benefit of the doubt.