Don’t Walk Barefoot; Four Other Things You Should Not Be Doing In Airplanes

Traveling via airplanes can be either delightful or insanely worrisome, depending on which type of passenger you are.

Some passengers may enjoy flying over any other mode of transportation; a few others might even dread it so much to the point of hating it and others might take a neutral stance on it.

However, since the airplane is after all open to varying types of public, proper decorum must still be maintained in respect to other passengers in order to ensure a smooth sailing flight for everyone.

Here are five things you should completely avoid doing while aboard an airplane:

1. Walking bare foot or inflicting your feet on other passengers

All sorts of things, not only food or beverage but sometimes vomit, blood and even shattered glass find their way to an airplane's carpet.

Making it extremely dirty and filled with germs; thus, making it highly advisable to not resort to walking barefoot while on the airplane.

It's alright to want to feel and be comfortable however, we must also be aware of other passengers.

As Independent Traveler eloquently puts it, "We have no problem with people slipping off their shoes to be more comfortable on a long flight -- with a few important exceptions."

First being your feet should not be taking up other people's personal spaces; second, shoes should be worn before going to the lavatory (see above) and last but definitely not the least, be very attentive of others especially in the case of stinky feet.

2. Sitting for too long or reclining too much

Many people will most likely spend their time aboard a plane sitting down, however, according to Reader's Digest, this puts you in a high risk of Deep Vein Thrombosis or DVT.

This is a blood clot that normally forms in the leg area. Stretching is encouraged in order to prevent this from happening.

Some might even prefer to recline their seats as opposed to merely sitting down. However, we must be aware of other passengers especially the ones sitting behind us when reclining; much more so on the topic of meal time.

Intelligent Traveler suggests that, "Whichever side of the issue you take, I think all of us can agree that once the food and drink carts start rolling down the aisles, it's only courteous to make sure your seat is upright so the person behind you can have full access to his or her tray."

3. Using the airline provided things or drinking airline beverages (like blankets, coffee, tea and ice)

There are times when the plane can become too cold, most especially during the nighttime.

Here is where the airline-issued blanket comes into play; however, steer clear of it since this is one of the things the airline doesn't always thoroughly clean. Besides, just think of the other people who might've used it before you.

When it comes to the beverages, opt for bottled water instead of coffee, tea or even alcohol.

Since there is low humidity within the aircraft, chances are you will end up parched from the flight. Steer clear of these other drinks since they will leave you dehydrated instead of the other way around.

As for the ice, it is usually made with stale tap water stored from the old tanks and is most likely filled with bacteria.

4. Touching or leaning onto the surface of the aircraft

Since many people use the aircraft day in and day out, it is probably wise to stay away from certain spaces which are likely smeared with all sorts of germs.

Such surfaces include the toilet flusher and the windows of the aircraft. Don't forget to not only wash your hands thoroughly but also sanitize so as to avoid them.

5. Being rude

This should go without saying and cannot be stressed enough: we must be mindful and wary of other passengers on the plane.

In our own way, we can be helpful in contributing to the smoothness of the flight - starting with following the security guidelines on the plane, placing our luggage in the overhead bin properly - so as to not take excess space reserved for other customers, not speaking too loudly with other passengers to the most trivial: not making dumb (aka bomb) jokes on the plane.

Following these simple steps should help make your flight (as well as others') flow smoothly. Bon voyage!