I’m a flight attendant — here’s the ‘scary’ reason we sit on our hands

Brace yourself for the turbulent truth.

Although they’re called the friendly skies, jet-setting off into the clouds can sometimes result in a bumpy ride. 

But when trouble is afoot, assuming this position comes in handy for flight attendants. 

“Ever wonder why [the] cabin crew sits [on their hands] during takeoff and landing?,” asked Henny Lim, an airline hostess for Cebu Pacific in the Philippines, in a TikTok demo-post. “It is called ‘bracing position.’”

In the clip, which has skyrocketed to over 31,000 views, Lim, 29, unearthed the secrets of the fascinating safety procedure she and her colleagues follow to reduce the risk of bodily harm in the case of an emergency. 

“This position involves fastening [your] seatbelt securely, [sitting] upright, [sitting] on [your] hands — palms up, thumbs [tucked] and arms loose — and [placing your] feet flat on the floor,” explained the brunette. “The aim is to keep the body in a rigid pose so that if there was any impact from an unplanned emergency, the body is damaged less.”

Lim and a coworker demonstrated the specialized posturing, strapping themselves into their seats, tucking their hands beneath their undercarriages and tightening up their forms. 

“This keeps body movement restricted so that there is less chance of injury if there was an impact,” she informed, adding that the cabin crew isn’t just sitting on their hands amid the mid-air chaos. 

“During this time, [we] will also be going through [a] silent review, which prepares [us] for an emergency situation [during] every take-off and landing,” said Lim. “This includes being aware of emergency equipment in the location, door operations, commands given and any visual clues outside [of] the aircraft.”