Air travel is already a test of patience. But for travel creator Megan (TikTok/@travelingberri), a morning flight forced her to share a PSA about passenger entitlement.
Megan was heading back out for a seven-week stint on the road via an early morning flight on March 25. Mid-air, she witnessed a traveler ignore safety protocols during a patch of heavy turbulence. Naturally, like everyone else on the flight, she was infuriated.
In a video that has reached over 65,000 viewers, she detailed how this passenger’s inability to understand what “emergency” means put a flight attendant at unnecessary risk. It goes to shows how some people really treat airline safety requests like mere suggestions. But, “don’t be this person,” Megan warns.
The captain ordered all flight crew to stay seated
The ordeal began mid-flight when the aircraft hit a patch of turbulence. This prompted the captain to turn on the seatbelt sign and issue a specific directive. “I’ve asked all the flight crew to stay seated while we get through this patch,” he announced over the loudspeaker.
Pilots do this to ensure the staff’s safety until the air stabilized. But shortly after, a passenger hit their overhead call button, ignoring the clear instruction that service was temporarily suspended.
The passenger pressed the button again after a second announcement
In response to the first chime, the crew made a second announcement. They clarified that they would only be answering call buttons for genuine emergencies. Undeterred, the passenger pressed the button again.
Megan watched as a flight attendant, holding onto seats and trying to remain upright, carefully navigated the bumpy aisle to reach the passenger. At this point, the whole flight assumed that the passenger must be in medical distress.
The emergency turned out to be literal trash
To the disbelief of other passengers and the flight attendant, the passenger’s “emergency” was simply that they no longer wanted to hold their garbage. “They handed him trash. That was it,” Megan recounted, visibly frustrated by the traveler’s lack of respect.
Megan also pointed out that turbulence is notoriously unpredictable. So, the crew member was essentially “risking himself” just so the passenger didn’t have to utilize their seat-back pocket for a few extra minutes.
Why are flight attendants seated during turbulence?
Flight attendants are required to stay seated during turbulence because they are at the highest risk for injury. Unsecured crew members can be thrown against the ceiling or floor during sudden altitude changes. This can potentially lead to serious head or spinal trauma.
By falsely signaling an emergency for a non-urgent task like trash collection, a passenger diverts crew attention away from actual safety monitoring. In fact, such entitlement physically endangers the person tasked with their care.
How to be a respectful passenger during turbulence?
If you want to avoid being the subject of a viral “don’t be this person” video, learn the basic air travel etiquette. As a direct takeaway from the video, only use the call button for immediate medical issues or fire hazards. Strictly follow this if the seatbelt sign is on and the crew is seated.
If you finish a snack during turbulence, tuck the wrapper into your seatback pocket or a personal bag. You should hold on to your trash until the “all clear” is given. Understand that the crew wants to be up and working just as much as you want your trash gone. However, they must wait for the captain’s clearance to move safely.
Megan’s story is a sobering reminder that common sense should be a part of the boarding pass. While the passenger got rid of their trash, they had to sit with a collective side-eye from the entire flight and cabin. But at least we got a viral lesson in what not to do at 30,000 feet.
Published: Mar 28, 2026 12:59 pm