An airline traveler was left shocked after spying on a fellow passenger’s text exchange about contracting COVID.
As pointed out by the New York Post, Reddit user esporx shared a photo of a woman sitting on a plane with an iPhone in hand. The image, which was taken from behind the woman, showed the unidentified passenger composing a text that read: “We have Covid… shhhhh. That’s why we’re returning home a day early. On the plane…”
The redditor titled the Jan. 5 post, “Is this even legal?”
The post has since garnered more than 400 comments and 15,300 votes—88 percent of which are upvotes. Some users said they were horrified by the photo, as the woman may have knowingly exposed other passengers to the disease. However, some redditors directed their anger not toward the purportedly infected traveler, but toward the user who snapped the picture.
“Ok. It’s fucked up to read other people’s text messages but also SUPER fuck people who KNOW they have covid that don’t take precautions to keep other people safe from it,” one person wrote.
“Fuck this lady and the creep who reads other peoples messages,” read another comment.
Some redditors also questioned whether the admission was legit or simply a way to scare off nosy passengers.
“When I know somebody on the bus is reading my messages I type fucked shit too, so it’s probably fake and op is a weirdo,” one person commented.
“Plot twist: she only typed that because she knows the asshole behind her is reading her messages,” another wrote.
It remains unclear when and where the photo was taken. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has advised Americans to avoid domestic travel until they are fully vaccinated. Those who have been exposed to COVID-19 or have tested positive for the disease are also asked to stay home until they’re in the clear.
