Traveler Dan Kelly faced criticism after requesting that other passengers refrain from eating snacks containing nuts due to his severe allergy.
Dan went viral after filming his interaction with a flight attendant aboard an EasyJet flight. The content creator asked the crew member to make a public announcement informing passengers that the flight would need to be nut-free.
He explained that his allergy can be triggered by nut particles in the air, so he always makes the same request when traveling, for his safety.
In the video, the flight attendant can be heard asking Dan where his seat was and whether he carried any EpiPens, before agreeing to make the announcement.
Dan Kelly sparked a heated debate after making a request to an EasyJet flight attendant
Image credits: _maycontain
“I love it when [flight attendants] understand straight away,” the flyer captioned the post.
“Surely people can go without nuts for a few hours if it could save someone’s life! Honestly, I don’t understand why some people still don’t take food allergies seriously.”
He added: “If it were you or your child living with a life-threatening allergy, you’d hope others would show a bit more empathy and recognise just how serious it really is!”
Image credits: Wosunan/Adobe Stock (Not the actual photo)
Dan told Newsweek that he’s had a severe nut allergy since he was five. He said the medical condition impacts his daily life and that the fear of having a reaction is “even more intense” when he’s traveling.
“If someone eats nuts, doesn’t wash their hands, then touches me, that could trigger it,” he explained.
Dan, who has a severe allergy, asked a crew member to make an announcement informing passengers that the flight would need to be nut-free
Image credits: _maycontain
His video has garnered 6.8 million views on TikTok, with several users accusing Dan of being authoritarian in asking fellow passengers not to eat nuts.
“1 person shouldn’t dictate what a plane load of people can and cannot eat,” fumed one person.
“Since when has an entire group accommodating to a single individual become the norm??” asked someone else. “It’s crazy work. You are responsible for yourself – the entire group is not responsible for you…”
“I’ll eat my Snickers and I don’t really care..” echoed an additional user.
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Others defended Dan, saying his request was more than reasonable given the potential health risks of nut exposure to his body.
“I love to have nuts as a snack but if someone was allergic I would fully understand on a flight! It’s really not that deep people just eat something else!” one user commented.
“I often have nuts or something with peanut butter as a snack so I would truly appreciate an announcement so I can prevent causing a medical episode for someone,” a separate user chimed in.
“Someone in the office next to mine had a nut allergy, so we all happily agreed to make the entire floor of the building nut free!” someone else shared.
Depending on the severity of the allergy, airborne exposure could cause anaphylaxis
Image credits: Svitlana/Adobe Stock (Not the actual photo)
Dan, a freelance graphic designer who runs a blog and podcast called May Contain, uses his platform to raise awareness about allergy-related issues and share tips, such as how to use an Epi-Pen and how to stay safe when traveling abroad or attending social events with allergies.
Image credits: Suzi Media/Adobe Stock (Not the actual photo)
In 2019, EasyJet banned the sale of nut products on flights to protect passengers with allergies.
It also banned passengers from eating nut products if somebody on board has an allergy.
“We recommend that passengers inform us of their allergy at the time of booking which enables us to pass this information onto the cabin crew operating the flight,” the company states.
German airline Lufthansa is also among carriers with a rule against serving peanuts on its planes.
Other airlines, like British Airways, have not imposed a ban but ask travelers to refrain from eating peanuts if a fellow passenger has an allergy.
Dan has had a severe nut allergy since he was five
Image credits: _maycontain
Depending on the severity of the allergy, airborne exposure or accidental contact could trigger anaphylaxis, a potentially life-threatening reaction.
Anaphylaxis causes the immune system to release a flood of chemicals that can cause you to go into shock. Blood pressure drops suddenly and the airways narrow, blocking breathing, the Mayo Clinic explains.
This severe allergic reaction requires an injection of epinephrine and a follow-up trip to an emergency room. If not treated immediately, it can be fatal.
Image credits: _maycontain
“There’s so much fear and negativity around allergies,” Dan told Newsweek.
“But I want to show people that it is possible to live confidently with allergies—to travel, eat out, and enjoy life without being held back.”
It’s estimated that over 6.1 million people in the United States have a peanut allergy, according to Food Allergy Research & Education.
Tree nut allergies—allergies to one or more types of tree nuts, such as walnuts, almonds, or cashews—affect up to 3% of people worldwide.
“Rude people be acting like a nut allergy is voluntary,” one user commented
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