10 Things You Shouldn't Do On A Plane

Post-September 11th, traveling by plane became a much more secure process. These measures work to make passengers feel safe, but it also acts as a way to get travelers to their designated area in an orderly fashion. Once you get to your gate, the rules are a bit more lax, though you'll want to make sure you get there on time as running through the airport is severely frowned upon.

Perhaps this layered process is why people feel comfortable making themselves at home once they arrive on the actual airplane. After all, you will have to be on this flying contraption for the foreseeable future, and being comfortable should be commonplace amongst passengers. While this may be the case, there are still some common courtesy guidelines that all people should follow. Before your next takeoff, check out these 10 things you shouldn't do on a plane.

10 Don't Blast Your Music

Have you ever been driving down the street, when out of nowhere your car begins to shake and someone else's bass begins to vibrate down through your nerves? That's what hearing other people's music on an airplane is like. You are in a very condensed space, so not only is blasting music through headphones unnecessary, it's plain rude. Despite your volume preference back home, try to respect the tight surroundings and the fact that not everyone is trying to listen to what's on your iTunes list. If you're not sure if other people can hear it, take them off to gauge it for yourself.

9 Don't Recline Your Seats During Meals

This one should be a no-brainer, but people (especially those impending vacation) don't always pay attention to their surroundings. If the plane has served food within the last hour, take that as a reminder that maybe now is not the best time to recline and take a nap.

Not everyone eats at the same pace, so the person behind you may still be working on their meal. Try to also keep this in mind even if you declined your in-flight meal.

8 Don't Take Off Your Shoes

Nobody, absolutely nobody, needs to know the extent of the inside of your shoe's stench. It doesn't matter if you have been in these sneakers for the past twenty-four hours; there is never an excuse to take off your shoes on an airplane. It's unsanitary even for you as a passenger. You never know what kind of secretions have found their way onto that floor. Think of it this way: you wouldn't take your shoes off in the middle of a bank. So don't do it on an airplane either.

7 Don't Let Your Kids Run Loose

Your kids may be well behaved at home and in typical social settings, but their energy is multiplied in these confined spaces. Having kids run, scream, and generally cause disturbances will get under everyone skins, though most just choose to ignore it.

Remember that some of the passengers on board are parents, too and a bigger majority will be sensitive to the situation regardless. However, don't take their niceties for granted. Just because no one is complaining about your child doesn't mean that the situation isn't causing them discomfort.

6 Don't Get Drunk

Getting drunk on a plane sounds fun in theory, but the truth is that it's pretty much a nightmare. If you get the spins, you have nowhere to lay down to relax. And if you start feeling sick, pretty much everyone will be able to hear it. Not to mention, being intoxicated on a flight is sure to induce rowdy behavior that nobody will thank you for during your trip. Even if you can be pretty nonchalant under the influence, being drunk on a plane will cause you discomfort in one way or another. Whether it's nausea, cottonmouth, or the endless trips you'll need to make to the restroom.

5 Don't Put Your Carry-On Over Someone Else's Seat

There is no reason why this should happen, yet it happens on almost every flight. The overhead bins are big enough to fit the prescribed number of seats below it (typically three). Your carry-on should be able to fit perfectly right above your seat section and the personal item is meant to go under your feet. While some people choose to put their personal item in the overhead bins, this is what can cause buildup and the need for the next person to find an alternative overhead compartment. Before you know it, the whole plane is out of sync and it will take even longer to get off the plane.

4 Don't Put Up Your Feet

Another common plane etiquette is to respect personal space. People are notorious for using extra seats (or even the seat in front of them) as a foot prop.

The Internet has found humor in this daily occurrence, but it's always at the expense of the other passenger's hardship. As tempting as it may be to lay back and elevate your feet in the next seat, it's important to realize the priority of personal space.

3 Don't Push Your Way To The Front

Because of the aforementioned overhead bin debacle, sometimes it can take longer than you would like to get off of a plane. That should in no way, however, give you license to push your way to the front of the plane. Everyone is eager to get off of the aircraft, and some people may have just as pressing matters to attend to. There is a simple procedure of waiting for the rows in front of you to get into the aisle before you begin your own dissent. If the person in front is taking a while to get their bags, you should be courteous and wait. You can even offer to help if it gets everyone off faster!

2 Don't Joke About Bombs

Airlines take bomb threats intensely serious. Especially once you are on the plane, jokes about bombs, no matter how obviously satirical it may seem, should be voiced on an aircraft. It's a quick way to get at least one person on the plane to feel uncomfortable, maybe even enough to say something about it. In worst case scenarios, it could even get you kicked off the flight and into put into an interrogation room.

1 Don't Ignore The Saftey Briefing

Nobody wants to believe that their plane could be the next one to malfunction, but it could happen. And before you put your headphones on, make sure to ask yourself if you really know what to do in case of an emergency.

NEXT: 10 Etiquette Tips That Every American Traveling To Europe Should Know

If you travel frequently enough, you may know the safety briefing verbatim. But if not, these guidelines shouldn't be ignored. It takes less than ten minutes to go through and some airlines even make a show out of this briefing!