Via iStockphoto / @babyapplefritter TikTok
A woman shared an awkward moment where she tried to go to the bathroom on a plane—only to be met with a surprise
In recent years, security on airplanes has increased. This led to an awkward situation for one passenger on a recent United Airlines flight.
The TikToker, @babyapplefritter, shared what happened in a new TikTok that amassed 27,300 views.
She prefaced the TikTok with on-screen text. It said, “If you were flying the 10am united flight from Chicago to New York I’m so sorry.”
She then spoke to the camera to detail the accidental airplane etiquette faux pas.
“Today I was on a plane, and I tried to go to the bathroom, and I saw somebody walk out of it, so I knew it was vacant, except I couldn’t open the door, so I was shaking the handle… ” she said, before revealing: “It was the cockpit.”
“I shook it for like 30 seconds because I was like, ‘What the hell,’ and I was looking like straight down at the handle,” she continued. “There’s a sign directly in front of my face that said, like, ‘Authorized personnel only past this point,’ so I wonder if a pilot today thought that they were getting hijacked?”
In the video description, the TikToker shared more context, adding, “To be fair I slept maybe one full hour last night.”
BroBible reached out to the TikToker and United Airlines via email.
People Found It Hilarious
Commenters were mostly amused by the anecdote.
“Airport bars are trouble,” one quipped.
“The pilots would be like ‘WTF is that noise’ and I’m talking from experience,” a second commenter, a pilot, added.
A United flight attendant also weighed in, saying, “This happens more than you think haha.”
“I laughed a bit too hard,” a fourth admitted. “I’m sorry girl.”
A fifth remarked, “They probably thought it was the turbulence. Today was one of those days!”
And a sixth joked, “I would’ve been arrested.”
Why Is Nobody Allowed In The Cockpit On A Flight?
Rules around people entering the cockpit of an airplane changed following the September 11 attacks. As explained on the blog Ask Captain Lim, it was previously permitted for pilots’ friends and family members to sit in the cockpit during take-off, landing, and while cruising. However, following 9/11, Lim says that cockpit visits have been restricted.
He added that the cockpit door is locked to prevent unauthorized entry, and that only crew members with the captain’s permission are granted access.
Now, according to Lim, cockpit visits are restricted to brief ones pre-takeoff and post-landing. He claims that people can request cockpit visits by asking a flight attendant. However, the final decision on whether a visit to the cockpit is permitted is down to the captain and depends on the workload of the pilots.