A flight attendant has lifted the lid on the grim reasons it is important for passengers to keep shoes on at all times when flying on a plane.
Speaking over the years, several cabin crew members have alerted passengers to the risks of walking around a plane barefoot, arguing that it poses both hygiene and safety risks.
In a recent conversation with Insider, Leysha Perez revealed: “It’s not water that you’re seeing on the bathroom floor something. It’s probably bodily fluids you’re walking in.
“For the love of all things, wear shoes,” said another anonymous aircrew member who works for a major US airline. “Walking throughout the aircraft barefoot or even with socks is disgusting.”
A stewardess called Danielle went viral last October for making a similar remark in a video explaining why she would never go to the toilet on a plane without any shoes on.
She said: “I may look like water on the floor but trust me guys, it’s really not. I’m sure you can guess what it is.”
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Though it’s common courtesy for most people to keep their shoes on in public, a slew of videos on TikTok have shown passengers slipping out of their footwear mid-flight.
The clips have prompted widespread discussions among the flying community over the health risks and safety concerns it could pose in case of an emergency landing.
Health professionals have previously warned that stepping into a toilet cubicle without socks can set the stage for serious infections for passengers with a cut on their foot.
In 2021, Jagdish Khubchandani, a public health professor at New Mexico State University shared his thoughts on the case, saying: “On long-duration flights, I have noticed people – often, kids – walk barefoot towards or into the bathroom.
“This is a very unhygienic tendency with potential for infection if someone has cuts and injuries on their foot.”
Hygiene concerns aside, flight attendants believe footwear is essential during plane emergencies, as passengers would likely have to clamber over debris on the way to the plane exit.
The only passengers exempt from these rules are those who wear high-heeled shoes, as the footwear risks damaging the exit slide.
In most other cases, however, it is better to keep shoes on as once you are outside the aircraft, you’re worse off without them.
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