Surprising reason flight attendants sit on their hands

‘Not regulation’

Speaking with Reader’s Digest, a veteran flight attendant explained that sitting on hands is actually a matter of personal preference, not regulation.

“We do need to position our hands properly as part of the brace position, and I guess you could sit on your hands if you want to. The flight attendant rule is just that you can’t hold on to the harness,” said Erin Thomas, who’s been flying more than 15 years. “Being in the brace position is the important part.”

Thomas shared that her prefers to keep her hands on her lap. “I think it makes me look calm,” she says, “and passengers will feed off our energy, so if we’re calm during takeoff, they will be too.”

While this posture may seem rigid, it serves a critical function in protecting crew members from injury and allowing them to assist passengers immediately.

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