Every flight attendant seems to have their own pet peeve regarding different passenger behavior, whether that be the frequent traveler in 1A holding a full-blown Zoom call in the middle of the safety demonstration, or the passenger with a bad back who insists on packing the heaviest carry-on bag and then begs other people to put it in the overhead bin for them.
Some pet peeves are far more egregious than others, as the passenger who touched a flight attendant on a Delta Air Lines flight found out when he was arrested and charged with a crime that carries a maximum sentence of 20 years imprisonment.
But, by far the most common theme amongst flight attendant pet peeves is how passengers use the bathroom, with even the most minor of faux pas surprisingly likely to irk a crew member who has worked too many hours and not gotten nearly enough sleep.
While these transgressions really do have a habit of winding up flight attendants, please don’t take them too seriously. This is just for fun.
1. Going to the bathroom barefoot or in socks
If there’s one thing that will make even the hardest of flight attendants who have seen everything wince, it’s the passenger who voluntarily chooses to go to the bathroom either barefoot or in nothing but socks.
That pool of liquid on the floor? Chances are, it’s not water. And listen, if you don’t mind stepping foot in someone else’s urine, or all manner of other gunk, go for it. But when a flight attendant gives you side eye, it’s their not-so-subtle way of telling you to put some shoes on before using the bathroom.
Pro tip: Pack some hotel slippers in your carry-on. You can quickly slip them on when you need to move about the cabin and then ditch them at the end of the flight.
2. Struggling to open the bathroom door
I completely get it. The inside of an airplane is a completely mundane and day-to-day thing for flight attendants, but for many passengers, an aircraft is still a very alien space that can feel overwhelming and disorienting.
That would probably explain why so many passengers really struggle with how to open a lavatory door, even though the same designs have been around for decades. You’ve got two options: there’s either a handle, and you use it just like you would any regular door handle, or there’s a big sign which reads PUSH. In which case, you push where it says PUSH.
This might sound obvious to you, but the number of passengers who rip off the lavatory door ashtray in an attempt to break into the bathroom is incredible (and yes, airplanes still have ashtrays even though smoking is banned because you’ve got to have somewhere to extinguish a cigarette if someone does light up).
Pro tip: If you are looking at a sign that says ‘CREW ONLY,’ then this is not a lavatory.
3. Splattering the mirror with toothpaste
I remember the days when you would be scared stiff to leave the airplane bathroom in a bad state. Those days are long gone.
There’s a good proportion of passengers who clearly don’t care how they leave the bathroom after they’ve used it. Paper strewn on the floor, water splashed around the basin, perhaps the infamous puddle of urine, and an unflushed toilet bowl.
Then there are the vigorous toothbrushers, who get as close to the mirror as possible while seemingly brushing their teeth with their mouth wide open. Paste and saliva splattered across the mirror. Stay classy.
Pro tip: The bathroom is a shared space. Leave it how you would like to find it.
4. Needing to use the bathroom straight after boarding
Passengers who board a plane and immediately need to use the bathroom is something that really infuriates a lot of flight attendants, and to be honest, I’m not quite sure why.
The general thinking among crew members is that surely there are plenty of bathrooms in the airport concourse… why didn’t they use the facilities before they boarded the plane?
Of course, boarding a plane can still be a stressful experience for a lot of people. You want to get to the gate as soon as possible and then line up so you board early and snag space in the overhead bin for your belongings. Meanwhile, that pee you’ve been putting off for the past hour is suddenly becoming a lot more urgent.
Pro tip: When traveling, use the first available opportunity to use the bathroom.
5. Hogging the bathroom
Have they collapsed in there? It’s a thought that is becoming more and more common among flight attendants, as passengers turn the airplane bathroom into a spa retreat.
We get it, you want to freshen up, especially after a long overnight flight, but there’s a line of other passengers growing deeper by the minute as you apply your undereye gels. Let’s hurry this along.
Pro tip: Airplanes are the last place you want to be doing your skincare. Save it for the hotel.
Did I miss any? Let me know in the comments below.
