Flight Attendants Hate When Passengers Use The Airplane Bathroom At This Particular Time

When nature calls, it calls — no matter if you're at home, at work, or mid-flight. And although flight attendants will never say it outright, many admit that nothing tests their patience quite like passengers squeezing past them to reach the lavatory during meal or beverage service. 

Airline aisles are astonishingly narrow. In fact, U.S. regulations allow them to be as small as 15 inches wide. Considering a full-size service cart almost spans that width, it's practically impossible for a passenger to squeeze between the cart and a seat. Plus, carts are typically loaded with hot coffee, open cans of soda, and trays of ice — which makes them super heavy. Even a slight jolt of turbulence during your flight, or an unexpected bump from an elbow, can send scalding liquid onto someone's lap or create a slick patch on the floor. And no one wants a mess at 35,000 feet.

Additionally, flight attendants know they have only a small window to serve everyone before they're forced to stow everything, so every delay matters. In most cases, carts are stocked in the galley, pushed to the front or back, and then worked through the cabin in sequence before trash is collected and the cabin is reset. A single passenger stepping into the aisle can halt the entire operation. And in a 180-seat single-aisle jet, that means dozens of people may have to wait longer for their meal or drink. If the captain suddenly switches on the seatbelt sign for approaching turbulence, the crew may have to stop mid-aisle and secure the carts, even if half the cabin is still unserved.

This doesn't mean that you have to hold it in for hours, though. By following simple airplane bathroom etiquette, you can avoid causing any disruptions. For starters, the key to getting your timing right to use the bathroom is to go during the stretches between the crew's scheduled tasks. This is typically after the seatbelt sign has switched off following takeoff, once the plane has leveled, and before the first round of drink service begins. Another good window comes after the food and beverage carts have made their way through the cabin and the crew has collected trash. At that point, the aisles are clear and the attendants are back in the galley restocking or taking a break. On longer flights, you'll also notice a quiet stretch midway through the cruise when lights are dimmed and most passengers are settled. That's also a prime time because the lavatories are rarely all occupied at once — even on long-haul flights that try to maintain a ratio of roughly one lavatory per forty passengers. 

Whatever you do, though, try to avoid going to the bathroom too close to landing, when the seatbelt sign typically comes on again and the crew begins their final cabin check. And, of course, going to the bathroom at the airport before boarding can also help you ensure that you're getting onto the plane with an empty bladder. More than just a pet peeve, going to the toilet at an inopportune time is one of those major things flight attendants wish you would stop doing to actually help make a difference in everyone's safety and comfort.