"Fiddle is good anywhere": Impromptu inflight concert divides opinion
A debate has erupted over what’s considered appropriate when flying - but this time, it has nothing to do with reclining seats or overhead bins.
On a flight from Dublin to New York’s JFK airport - a trip typically just shy of eight hours long - a live and impromptu fiddle music session has taken place, a handful of days before St Patrick’s Day.
In a clip that has taken Twitter by storm, a woman can be seen - and heard - playing a lively jig on the fiddle, with accompaniment from both a man on an accordion and one with a whistle. They are surrounded by their fellow passengers, many who appear to be lined up trying to leave the plane.
“Aer Lingus flight from Dublin to JFK yesterday,” Adam Singer captioned the video. “I mean, I understand it's done from a good place, but also feel like you don't play music (or much worse, sing) in an enclosed space there's no escape from.”
While many commented to say that it had been a bit of fun, and good music no less, the original poster - and swarms of others - didn’t have the patience to humour them.
“Nah, that music was totally cool. And it looks like people were deplaning. Not like it was during the flight,” reasoned one.
“My nightmare,” vented another. “Not because they're bad but, as you say, there's no escape. I'm not sure what it is about musicians that make them feel like they can just crank a tune out when no-one asked.”
“This would be a nightmare for me,” came another agreement that was echoed from there in at least a dozen like-minded comments.
“'Fiddle is good anywhere,” someone else argued. “But it may be my roots. This kind of music makes ya happy.”
“So beautiful. That's what humanity is all about if you ask me,” one commenter said.
Adam, who wasn’t about to budge on his hard fiddle stance, fired back “sure, just not on a plane!”
When another suggested that it sounded like a good time to them, Adam responded with a gif reading “is it though?” and left it at that.
“Depends on how long it lasts and how good they are,” mused one viewer. “If they're good, they get 5-7 minutes. If they're not, 90 seconds tops.”
Meanwhile, one fan of the fun wrote that “this fulfils every fantasy I have about travelling to Ireland. I love it.”
“I've been on thousands of flights and never had anything this awesome happen,” said another, “obviously I've never flown Aer Lingus.”
“I love traditional Irish music, but I can understand how it might bother others,” someone allowed.
The one thing most of them could agree on? They’d be okay with it, as long as “there’s free Guinness flowing.”
Images: Twitter