You must have been wondering thousands of times why flight attendants ask you to raise the window shade when flying. Well, we have the answer.
“The reason fliers have to open and close their window shades is not for the amusement of the flight attendant, better views of the world below, for sunburn protection, or to prepare you for that jolt of landing: it’s primarily for safety,” says from CN Traveler.
In case of an emergency, flight attendants must evacuate an aircraft in 90 seconds or even less. That’s why passengers are asked to keep their window shades open during taking off and landing as these are when most aviation accidents occur. The windows allow the flight crew to assess an emergency situation and decide which exit is best used.
“By allowing natural light to flood into the cabin, a sudden exit into the sunny outdoors is less disorienting for passengers and crew alike, and evacuees, the thinking goes, will be better able to move away from the plane,” says Kristen Leigh Painter of CN Traveler.
Now that you know why, next time when flying listen the flight crew for everything they say. It’s for your own good.