The 2 Things You Should Never, Ever Do On A Plane, According To An ER Doctor

Keep these in mind before you take off.

You’ve finally made it to the plane — and even managed to remember your seat number without digging out your phone to check again. You settle in for a hopefully uneventful flight with your destination on your mind.

For most people, this is the point when they sit back, relax and enjoy their flight, as the saying goes. But for emergency medicine physician Dr. Anita Patel, there are a few nonnegotiables to take care of before takeoff.

Here’s what an ER doctor would never do on a plane ― and hopes you don’t either:

Use The Tray Table Without Sanitizing It

All day long they go up and down with many hands eating, reading, drinking and ― if you’re Patel’s young kids ― even trying to lick those grimy tray tables (because, well, kids). But Patel says she’d never go a single flight without sanitizing the tray tables before using them.