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Katie, a mom and flight attendant who shares flying tips on TikTok under the handle @perfectlykate, just shared nine things passengers should never do on a plane. We’re listing the recommendations here…and one of them involves a gross factoid about the toilet paper in the airplane bathroom.

9 things you should never do on an airplane

@perfectlykate

flying tips from your fsvorite flight attendant this is your guidebook. listen to your guidebook aka how to not be a sucky passenger #flightattendant#flightattendantlife #flightattendants #flight#airplane#travel#travelhack#traveltip#airplanemode #aircraft #airplanetiktok #cabincrew#crew#stewardess #stewardesslife #blonde#sky#skybunny#firstresponders

♬ original sound – Katieee

First, Kate delivers a fairly wretched tip: Don’t use the toilet paper provided in the on-board facilities.

Why? She claims that due to the location of the sanitary paper, the material is arguably very unsanitary. Since the bathrooms are so compact, male passengers might, er, inadvertently “deposit” urine on the toilet paper.

In the comments section, she recommends passengers use the tissue paper near the sink instead. “They’re out of dodge.” Let’s be real, though: After realizing how filthy the airplane bathroom can get during a flight, I’ll be bringing my own TP on board.

The flight attendant goes on:

  • Don’t take your shoes off during your flight. Especially don’t go into the restroom barefoot.
  • Don’t use cabin areas as a yoga studio. Try to stay in your seat for the duration of short flights (Katie qualifies trips two hours long as “short”).
  • Don’t ignore the flight attendant while they’re attempting to provide you with drink service. Respond with a drink request or politely decline.
  • Don’t judge moms with children on board. “There’s probably a much worse adult somewhere on the plane,” she says.
  • Don’t BYOB. Keep your own alcohol for after your flight. If you get wasted on a plane, it’s a problem for flight attendants.
  • Don’t take your clothes off. Stay fully clothed during your flight.
  • Don’t be rude to other passengers. “Be the bigger person,” Katie suggests.
  • Don’t argue with the flight attendant. If you do, things will quickly escalate.

Personally, I like to get up and stretch (while standing) during a flight, even if it’s a “short” trip. I think we can assume, based on the above tips, that certain passengers literally perform full-on Vinyasa in the aisles. Considering how gross airplane carpets are, I get refraining from that.

While I’m sure most of us have the social awareness to not need the above reminders, it’s an interesting window into a flight attendant’s daily grind on an airplane.

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Sarah Kennedy

Sarah Kennedy is the Editor-in-Chief of MotorBiscuit. She joined the team as Managing Editor in 2021 and has more than 20 years of automotive and operations expertise. She held ASE certifications as an Automotive Service Consultant and Parts Specialist and was a licensed car salesperson for many years. Sarah often focuses on helping drivers navigate used car buying and vehicle ownership. She created “Shop Smarts,” a column for MOTOR Magazine, and was a contributor there for eight years. Her work earned her a Gold Medalist award from the American Society of Business Publication Editors in 2014 and Bronze Medalist awards from the International Automotive Media Competition in 2014 and 2015. She attended the Automotive Management Institute and earned her bachelor’s degree from The Ohio State University.