Top 4 ways to get a flight attendant to go Steve Slater

1. Seat-back pockets are not trash cans, folks

Kim Jae-Hwan/Newscom/file
The members of your onboard crew might not perform martial arts on you (as these Korean Air flight attendants did in a 2001 drill). But if you stick your gum under the fold-up tray, they'll want to.

There is a reason that flight attendants go down the aisle several times before landing. Those trash bags they're carrying aren't Armani accessories. Yes, trash can build up on long flights, but stuffing refuse and gum into seat-back pockets, fold-up trays, between seats, on the floor, in overhead bins – basically anywhere they fit – is sure to anger your onboard crew.

“A big gripe on longer flights is the amount of trash and debris that seems to accumulate around some passengers' seats,” writes Sullivan. “ ‘Do they throw their cups and tissues and newspapers on the floor like that at home? I think not!’ said one flight attendant I interviewed."

Remedy: Use the trash bags, people. Otherwise, if you’ve forgotten to throw something away, bring it out with you when you deplane – or at least don’t hide it. The next passenger will surely find it and complain to the flight attendant.

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