A woman onboard a Xiamen Airlines flight has been removed by police for opening the emergency exit because it was a bit “too stuffy,” and look, you probably shouldn’t do that.
The woman was waiting for take off on her flight from Quanzhou to Wuhan when she figured it would be nice to let a bit of “fresh air” in, despite repeated warnings from cabin crew to only touch the emergency exit in an EMERGENCY situation.
Now look, I know there are a tonne of rules to follow when you’re at the airport.
Don’t use your phone on the tarmac. Make sure you don’t wear any metal when you go through the security screening. Keep your seatbelt fastened until the seatbelt light gets turned off. Don’t have sex in the bathroom.
But honestly, none of those are as important as following the cabin crew instructions when it comes to the emergency exits.
For the love of god, PLEASE do not open the emergency exit unless the plane has crashed. Just don’t. Not because you want some fresh air, not because you want to admire the view. Nothing. Just don’t fucking do it.
It was a 32 degree day when the incident took place, and we’ve all been there. It’s hot. It’s stuffy. You don’t want to be sitting next to a smelly child. But that doesn’t make it okay to open the emergency exit.
A video of the incident has since gone viral, amassing a whopping 18 million views.
The woman, who appeared to be in her 50s, blatantly ignored cabin crew instructions and opened the door. A decision that she immediately regretted.
Obviously, the woman got in huge trouble and was escorted off the plane by police, presumably to be charged.
Opening an emergency exit on an aircraft can be considered “disturbing public order”, which is a very real crime that comes with a hefty fine and possible jail time.
So, if you were ever wondering what would happen if you opened the door, now you know. You will get kicked off the flight and sent straight to the police station. That’s what will happen.
