Flight Attendants Can't Stand This Annoying Way Passengers Get Their Attention

From the moment we're able to understand basic instructions, most of us are taught a few golden rules. We learn that it's important to have good manners. We are taught to say "please" and "thank you," chew with our mouths closed, and keep our hands to ourselves. However, it seems like some of those manners fly out the window as soon as we set foot on a commercial airplane. You wouldn't poke, prod, or grab a complete stranger to get their attention in most situations, and yet for some reason it happens all the time to flight attendants.

Even though most toddlers can understand that it isn't polite to poke or grab another person, some fully grown adults feel that it is an appropriate way to get a flight attendant's attention. Most people don't enjoy being touched by strangers, and flight attendants are no exception. It feels quite invasive and can come across as very rude.

Crew members understand that passengers will need to get their attention throughout the flight, but they can't stand when they resort to physically touching, tapping, poking, or grabbing. There are plenty of appropriate and polite ways to flag them down. Crew members care about passengers' comfort and safety, and if you have good manners, your flight attendants will be happy to assist you. If you choose to touch them, they're probably going to feel rather annoyed.

You may think that certain behaviors are polite in theory, but flight attendants hate it when you do them. Having previously worked as a flight attendant for an airline in the United States, the number one passenger behavior that my fellow crew members complained about was when people would touch us to get our attention.

Hardly a day went by in which I wasn't tapped or poked by a passenger as I walked through the aisle. We'd be in the middle of serving snacks or pouring Diet Cokes when I'd feel that dreaded tap-tap-tap on my back. People would place both hands on my shoulders to let me know that they needed to pass in the aisle. Passengers would grab onto my skirt to physically stop me as I walked down the aisle. Once, an elderly passenger actually grabbed my hair and attempted to tug my head down to their level. Sadly, some of the touching that flight attendants endure borders on harassment.

Flight attendants are professionals who are highly trained to ensure the safety of every single passenger on board, and it's important to treat them with respect. You wouldn't grab or poke a nurse or doctor when you're seeking medical attention, or pull on your boss's sleeve in the middle of a meeting at work. Hopefully you wouldn't walk up behind a server at a restaurant and place your hands on their shoulders. If you did any of those things to a stranger on a subway, you might end up with a broken nose. You might not mean any harm, but if you don't want to annoy your crewmembers, it's best to keep your hands to yourself.

There are plenty of appropriate and effective ways to get your flight attendant's attention that don't involve touching them. Using your voice is the easiest way to get a prompt response. It can be loud on an airplane, so you may have to speak up a bit more than you're used to. You can say, "Excuse me!" or call the flight attendant by name. Sometimes crew members will introduce themselves during the announcements at the start of a flight. If not, their name will be displayed on their uniform or badge.

Eye contact is another great way to get crew members' attention. Your flight attendant won't tell you this, but they are always watching passengers throughout the entire flight. It's part of their job to observe the cabin and look out for any suspicious behavior. Usually a crew member will be visible in the cabin every few minutes, and they're scanning the entire plane. If you make eye contact, they'll probably come straight over to you. If eye contact doesn't work on its own, try giving them a little wave just as you would for a server at a restaurant if you were ready to order another drink.

If using your words, eye contact, and body language don't do the job, then use your flight attendant call button. The flight attendant call button is best reserved for more serious requests, like feeling sick, a conflict with another passenger, or a spill. That being said, it is still totally okay to push it if you weren't successful in getting a crew member's attention. When a call button goes off, flight attendants are notified, and they'll usually drop what they're doing and come right to your seat. If you're curious about more ways to be a better passenger, check out the easy-to-make mistakes that drive crew members up the wall.