‘Why would you be doing that then?’: Flight attendant says a passenger asked for a Band-Aid on an overnight flight. Then he showed his injuries to him

Dan, who posts on TikTok as @dan_s_p_, said in a video that has received 143,400 views that he works as a flight attendant. He described what he called one of the most unexpected and bizarre things that has happened to him. The caption on the video read “Story Time: Flight Attendant Edition.”

He said a number of years ago, he was working a red-eye flight to Bangkok. He stated he was working in the economy, the flight was full, and it was a night flight. After takeoff, he said the crew served food, and the passengers fell asleep.

Dan said he and a colleague were standing in the galley near a restroom when a male passenger came out and asked the colleague for a Band-Aid. He explained that in any first-aid situation, the crew tries to get more information because medical situations can escalate quickly, and they are far from hospitals and doctors.

Survey finds nearly one in four men who groom report cuts and other injuries

Dan said his colleague asked who the Band-Aid was for, whether everything was all right, and what had happened. He stated the passenger replied, “Everything’s okay, I just have a scratch.” The man then walked away, according to Dan.

Several minutes later, Dan said the same passenger came back panicked and asked for bandages. He said his colleague pressed for details. Dan stated the passenger did not want to tell her and later said, “I can’t tell you, it has to be a man.” Such unusual requests can put flight attendants in difficult positions, as when a Delta attendant faced a passenger asked to turn the plane around mid-flight. 

Dan said they both looked at him, and the passenger gestured for him to come over. As he walked toward the man, he said the passenger walked toward the restroom. Dan stated that the man then showed him that he had injured himself while manscaping. 

He said that in training, they are told to be prepared for anything. He added, “When I went to work that day, I was not prepared to see someone’s manscaping injuries.” Dan said, “I mean, there’s a time and place for everything. Why would you be doing that then?”

He stated the injuries were surface-level and superficial scratches. Dan said the passenger had panicked because of where they were. He said no further medical treatment was required, and the man got off the plane and went on with his life.

A Hornet article citing a study in the journal JAMA Dermatology said nearly one in four men who shave “down there” suffer from manscaping injuries. In an online survey of 7,500 adults, Dr. Benjamin Breyer, associate professor of urology, epidemiology and biostatistics at the University of California, San Francisco, found that 67% of men groom their pubic hair. Of those, the article said, 24% experience manscaping injuries.

The piece said cuts were the most common injury, as 61% of manscapers nicked themselves with a blade. It stated that approximately 23% suffered burns caused by shaving too closely or by stinging chemical products. An additional 12% experienced rashes that can happen if a person does not use shaving cream, shaves too aggressively, or shaves with dull or dirty blades, according to the article.

A majority of these injuries occurred on the scrotum (67%), the article said. Nearly 35% occurred on the penis shaft, and 29% occurred on the pubis. The Hornet piece said only 1% of the injuries required medical attention.

The Hornet article said Dr. Breyer believes pubic grooming has become more popular because of shortened pubic hair in mainstream porn. It also said increased interest in men’s grooming plays a role.

The piece listed six tips. It said men should regularly clean clippers, scissors, and blades with alcohol. They should trim pubic hair with clippers down to 1/16 of an inch before using a razor. It said they should shower first, use shaving gel or an alcohol-free gel with aloe, and shave in the direction of the hair. 

If they cut themselves, they should use warm water, soap, rubbing alcohol, and toilet paper to stop the bleeding and clean the area. The article advises using moisturizer after finishing. 

Viewers responded to Dan’s video. One commenter compared the situation to an emergency call and wrote, “Bro was trying to declare mayday in his own cockpit.” Another commenter questioned airport screening and wrote, “how did he get a razor through security.”

One commenter expressed disgust and wrote, “Why…WHY are people soooo DISGUSTING????” Another commenter pointed to poor judgment and wrote, “The amount of stupid people in this world is scary. Sigh.” A further commenter called the setting of the grooming unusual and wrote, “Manscaping on a plane is insane work.”