Two Guys on a Plane
Welcome to Two Guys on a Plane, your go-to flight attendant podcast! We're taking you behind-the-scenes for an insider look at life in aviation. Join us for hilarious inflight moments, passenger stories, flying pet peeves, the best destinations, flight attendant travel tips, plus interviews with crew members and other travel enthusiasts! Whether you’re in the airline industry or simply love flying, buckle up for a fun, informative, and hilarious journey, hosted by flight attendant husbands Drew and Rich.
Two Guys on a Plane
Why You Should Always Stay Buckled on an Airplane
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Oh, the seatbelt sign is on. What should I do?
Well, first, you can stay seated and listen to us flight attendants! We can’t predict turbulence, but we can ensure your safety onboard. In this episode, let’s talk about turbulence and why you should stay buckled in-flight.
If you can stay buckled on an hour-long car ride, why can’t you on an airplane? Right?
Episode Highlights:
[0:00] Welcome to Episode #45!
[1:12] Why stay buckled?
[2:10] Drew & wild turbulence
[3:48] We just can’t predict it
[4:52] You buckle up in a car, why not on the plane?
[5:37] Drew’s two school of thoughts
[7:40] Don’t ask if you’re going to do it anyway
[9:22] Just stay seated, Ma’am
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Welcome to Episode #45!
SPEAKER_01Today we wanted to talk about why you should stay buckled even when the seatbelt sign is off. When the seatbelt sign is on, to put your seatbelt on. It's that simple. So can I go to the bathroom or can I not go to the bathroom? Well, the seatbelt sign is on. We can't tell you how many times a day we say the seatbelt sign is on. The seatbelt sign is on. The seatbelt sign is on. We say it so many times we even say it in our sleep. And honestly, it's just become one of those things where we like legally can't give you permission to get up when the seatbelt sign is on. That we're now liable for whatever may or may not happen to you. That's just part of being a flight attendant. And a lot of times people don't like read between the lines when we say these things. And they're like, Well, so can I go to the bathroom or can I not go to the bathroom? Well, the seatbelt sign is on. Like that's really the best response you're ever going to get from a flight attendant. But today we wanted to talk about why you should stay buckled even when the seatbelt sign is off.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. So why
Why stay buckled?
SPEAKER_00is it important to stay buckled when the seatbelt sign is on? Well, I think all the time.
SPEAKER_01I think the interesting thing about it that a lot of passengers don't realize is the seatbelt sign is off doesn't mean like everything's super safe, and we're now in this very predictable situation where nothing bad can happen. Like it's still aviation, it's still the airline industry, turbulence, weather, these things come out of nowhere sometimes. Like, as great as the technology is that the pilots have, a lot of times they're not always aware. Or you might be flying a route where there's not a lot of air traffic and no one, it's early in the day and no one is there yet. Yeah. So you're the first one to figure it out. Um, and unfortunately, that's just kind of what happens when it comes to turbulence. So there might be forecasted stuff, there might be a report from other aircraft, or something could just sneak up unexpectedly.
SPEAKER_00Uh and those are all the great reasons uh to keep your seatbelt on.
SPEAKER_01Um,
Drew & wild turbulence
SPEAKER_01so Andrew, tell me about a time when you had crazy turbulence that maybe happened unexpectedly or or just that was really kind of chaotic for you.
SPEAKER_00Uh, there's this one time that really stands out to me. We had just taken off. Um, we're setting up for service. Um, and so we were going to the back of the airplane to collect the carts. Um, and on our way back, we hit some unexpected turbulence. I'm telling you, I've never experienced turbulence like this before in my life. Um, but I'm in the back of the airplane on like the lavatory side. Um, and then uh we hit the turbulence. The cart was in the aisle between the lavatories because we were about to start moving it up the aisle. And I don't know what happened other than we hit turbulence, and it was so bad that I ended up going over the service cart. I don't know how it happened, but one of the other flight attendants in the back galley decided at that moment to like pull the double jump seat down so they could sit down, and I ended up landing in the jump seat right like this. Well, thank God. Correct. It could have been horrendous if that seat wasn't pulled down, like a million things could have happened. And I just sat down and I was like, I think, I think I need this now. And everyone was just looking at me because I was the one on the front of the cart, ready to move it back towards the front of the airplane, and there was another flight in it on the back of the cart. So I ended up flying over the cart. It was the wildest thing I've ever, ever experienced in my life. The pilots call back and we're like, We didn't see that coming at all. Is everyone okay back there? And we were like, everyone's great.
SPEAKER_01See, that's
We just can’t predict it
SPEAKER_01the crazy thing is I think everybody assumes okay, this turbulence, like we either know about it or we don't. And I always feel bad when like nervous flyers come on board and they're like, Well, how's how's it looking today? And if it's been smooth, I'm like, it's been smooth, but I can't guarantee that it's gonna be. Yeah, like there's just so many unpredictable factors. We're dealing with mother nature here, and she don't play around.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I mean, it's no secret, right? Like, we get weather reports, the routing that we're given to get from point A to point B by dispatch is based on the weather and the routing. Um, ATC and the pilots communicate the whole time during our flight to like manage to get us around the weather. Um, but like there is also clear air turbulence that like is is an unknown. So we like no one could know about it, even if you are getting ride reports from other airplanes in the area. There's just so many factors to turbulence that like can't be predicted. Agreed, and it just shows up out of nowhere.
SPEAKER_01It does,
You buckle up in a car, why not on the plane?
SPEAKER_01and I I think about it a lot when I'm like in a car too, because it's like passengers love taking their seatbelt off when they're on the plane. Love it at all times, and it's like imagine you're driving down the street, the road is clear, there's no traffic lights ahead, you're cruising along, and you're like, I think I'll just take my seatbelt off. You would never do that in a car. Like, why would you ever do that in a car? So, why are you doing it on an airplane? Like the seatbelt exists because there was a risk during that entire ride. And the car, you wouldn't just randomly take it off for no reason. So, why are you doing it on an airplane? Keep it buckled just to keep yourself on the safe side. It really is that simple.
SPEAKER_00I have two
Drew’s two school of thoughts
SPEAKER_00schools of thoughts on this one though, right? Like, I really love that we as a profession have made air travel safe enough where people feel comfortable enough to do that. Like, that's very true. I I really love that you like feel safe enough just to sit there without your seatbelt on all day. But I mean, the truth is, and it it can just happen. So regardless of whether the seatbelt sign is on or not, like loosen your seatbelt, get a little bit more comfortable, relaxed, but there's no reason for you to have it all the way off unless you're like standing up to move about the airplane.
SPEAKER_01I think the time of flight, the phase of flight that it pisses me off the most is the second we land, like the second the brakes are slammed on, passengers unbuckle, and I laugh at it because I'm like this is like the driving part of it. This is the part where you're like in a car to some degree, where there's other vehicles on the ground that you could crash into. And this is when a lot of issues in aviation happen. You've got air traffic issues that maybe cause airplanes to go in different directions, or you know, a truck was told it could use this access road when we're closing or crossing it, and things like that. And it's like this is actually the very much the car part of it. And then secondly, I think about when you're pulling up to the gate and passengers start unbuckling before the seatbelt sign is off because I remember I think it was like United Flight a couple years ago, full on sat down the whole plane, sat on its ass. Like, do you remember this? No, like there was a weight and balance issue of some sort, and that plane just went and like bumped all the way back. And I'm thinking about these people who maybe got up prematurely and are like falling over as a result. So I get annoyed because I'm like, when the seatbelt sign is on, just put your seatbelt on. It's that simple.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. Well, and you boarded the airplane, you sat down, just put it on, and you don't plan on getting up or moving around the airplane, just keep it on. It's really that easy. Um, but you know what
Don’t ask if you’re going to do it anyway
SPEAKER_00irks me more than the people that take it off at random times, like you were explaining, are the people that will call you over and ask permission to take it off. And like the only thing I'm allowed to tell you is whether the sign is on or off. Right. Like, I cannot tell you that you can get up out of the airplane. So why call me over there to talk to me about it if you're just going to ignore me anyway?
SPEAKER_01Well, that's the thing, too, is like half the time when passengers ask you that, they're ready to argue with you about it. It's like, well, can I go to the bathroom now? No. Well, no, the seatbelt sign is on, but I really have to go.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Okay, you're an adult. Make that risk decision for yourself, but I'm not doing it for you.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. Or you're having a conversation with somebody about the fact that the seatbelt sign is on and they should really remain seated when somebody else gets up and they're like, You let them go. No, I didn't let anyone do anything. Right. I've told all of you that the seatbelt sign is on. I assume all of you know the seatbelt sign is on for a reason, and you should be in your seat with your seatbelt fastened right now. Right.
SPEAKER_01And like, we're not trying to make people afraid to get out of their seat. No, like we're up and about all the time, but we just want you to be aware. Like, just read the room, think about this.
SPEAKER_00Ton of training and also 25 years of experience moving around the airplane.
SPEAKER_01So, yeah, that's exactly how I feel. I mean, the seatbelt sign means the conditions are currently stable. It doesn't mean you know there's nothing that's ever gonna happen that's bad to you. Like you've you're still on an airplane, you still need to be self-aware and aware of your surroundings for sure.
SPEAKER_00Uh, and
Just stay seated, Ma’am
SPEAKER_00for the love of God, when we're on the ground, keep your seatbelt fastened. I don't think people know we're not allowed to move the airplane if they are up and moving about when we're on the ground. That's what I mean. Like, people get up and they're over on the corner.
SPEAKER_01Oh, no, I do. There's no problem. Yeah, correct. It's like you sit down. The sequel sign is still on. Like, there's a reason we're not letting you all wander around the airplane right now.
SPEAKER_00Like, but also we're legally not allowed to drive the airplane while you're on the while you're up and moving around. I do overexplay. And then you're gonna yell at us because we're late to the gate. Like you did this thoughts.
SPEAKER_01I do overexplain that to passengers sometimes because I want them to be aware, like when we're at the gate and we're ready for pushback and somebody gets up and goes to the bathroom. I'm gonna stare down the aisle and I'm gonna be like, you, you, like, sit down. You're the reason we're not moving yet.
SPEAKER_00We're buttoned up and ready for departure, but the FAA won't let us leave the gate till all passengers are seated. That means all passengers, even the ones in the lavatories, are in their seats with their seatbelts fastened. Right. So go back and put your seatbelt on and stop fighting with us about it. It's really it's not that big of a deal. And that's you wear your seatbelt in a car for hours when you're on a road trip. Yep.
SPEAKER_01You can do it on an airplane too. And that's really the takeaway. If you're seated, stay buckled, whether the seatbelt sign is on or not. It really is that simple. Because as you know, the seatbelt sign is on.
SPEAKER_00The seatbelt sign is on.
SPEAKER_01The seatbelt sign is on, and so is our new line of merch. So go get some two guys in a plane swag at twoguysinaplane.com, tap the word shop and get some swag.
SPEAKER_00All right. Well, join us next time for more humor, heart, and stories from our beverage cart.
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