Airport Secrets They Don’t Want Us to Know

Are the letters SSSS on your boarding pass a reason to worry? What's much more dangerous than turbulence? Should you really be the first to board the plane? You're about to figure it out. You might have noticed that most planes have blue seats. There's no mystery here. Airlines opt for this color because it's considered to have a calming effect. This color supposedly puts passengers at ease and helps even the most nervous fliers to relax. But there's also another, more practical reason. Stains, dirt, and scrapes are less visible on dark blue fabric. Never throw your boarding pass away in a public place. It contains tons of your sensitive information, including your name and frequent flier number. This, in turn, may allow someone else to check your future bookings, change your seat, or even cancel your flights. So the best way to deal with a boarding pass for a flight you've already boarded is to take it home and feed it through a paper shredder. By the way, if you ever see the letters SSSS or S on your boarding pass, get ready for additional security checks. Instead of these letters, there may be a checkerboard pattern. Anyway, if you have any of these marks, your carry-on luggage can also undergo a thorough inspection. Why might they choose you for secondary screening? Some of the criteria are making a one-way reservation or paying cash for your ticket. In some cases, the selection is absolutely random. Look, your gate is open and the boarding has started. Wait, where are you running? There's no need to hurry. The trick experienced globetrotters use is always board last. For one thing, you don't have to waste time standing in line. Then, there are fewer people on the jetway and in the aisle, and you spend less time on the plane. No one is going to take your seat anyway. There's one exception though. If you have a bulky carry-on bag, it may make more sense not to board last. Otherwise, the chances are high that all the overhead bin space will be occupied by the time you reach your seat. And then your bag may end up in another part of the plane, and you'll have to wait till the other passengers disembark before you get to your luggage. Duh! Before takeoff and landing, flight attendants usually flip a small switch on the bathroom door. This prevents it from flying open when it's not supposed to. With the same ease, a flight attendant can open the door when someone is inside. Look, they only need to lift the lavatory sign and move the knob into the unlocked position. Pilots don't worry about turbulence. That's because they know that there is a thing way more dangerous than any turbulence. It's an updraft. In most cases, turbulence only drops you a couple of feet down, even though it might feel as if you're falling from the top of the Empire State Building. If the turbulence is strong enough for the pilots to ask flight attendants to sit down, the plane can go 10 to 20 feet down. The most extreme white-knuckle turbulence is super rare. But an updraft is a big air mass, part of a storm or some other weather phenomenon moving upwards. Pilots don't see updrafts on their radars at night, and when a plane hits one, it feels like driving over a huge speed bump at 500 miles per hour. An updraft is also extremely treacherous because it can push an aircraft upward to dangerous altitudes. Modern planes have a special system that detects other aircraft, mountains, and different solid objects in their path. 10 miles away from another plane, and a voice in the cockpit starts chanting, Traffic! Traffic! 5 miles closer, and the same voice begins to give pilots the directions. Airplanes can operate with one engine, even during takeoff and landing. Both engines failing simultaneously is almost unheard of. But even then, a plane wouldn't drop from the sky like a rock. Pilots would have up to 20 minutes to find a suitable place to land. The way the cabin is pressurized has a great effect on your taste buds. You lose up to 30% of your ability to taste sweet and salty things. In other words, it's not that airplane food isn't tasty, you just don't feel its flavor. That's also the main reason why airline catering companies add extra salt and spices to the dishes they cook. But you know what may help you? Noise-canceling earphones. For some reason, that probably has a scientific explanation. Cutting off all that noise around can help your taste buds. Each of those dings you hear during the flight has its own meaning. In most airlines, a boing soon after takeoff indicates that the landing gear is getting retracted. Three dings in a row means more urgency than just one. A high-low ringtone informs crew members that their colleague needs them in another part of the plane. Three low chimes means some serious turbulence ahead. Crew members are supposed to put away meal carts, take their seats, and fasten their seat belts. If you're a nervous flyer, pick a seat in the middle of the cabin. Turbulence mostly affects the front and rear parts of the cabin. The middle section, which is over the wings, doesn't shake so much. Pilots and co-pilots eat different meals. The reason for this precaution is very simple. Imagine both pilots having the same dish and getting food poisoning. In this case, neither of them will be able to control the plane. If they still want to have the same dish and won't agree to have anything else, there is a safety net. Pilots don't have their meals at the same time. If one pilot ate the dish and still feels okay several hours later, the other pilot can brave their meal as well. What would you say when asked about the filthiest place on a plane? Nope, that's not the toilet seat. It's not even in the bathroom. Flight attendants warn that you should be particularly careful with headrests, seat pockets, tray tables, and seat belts. Experiments have shown that one-third of all seat belts have yeast and mold on them. Most tray tables are covered with bacteria. Seat pockets are extremely filthy too, but headrests are the dirtiest of them all. In most cases, flight attendants don't have enough time to change or disinfect them in between flights. If your captain announces they're finishing some paperwork, it means they're busy revising the flight itinerary or waiting for the ground staff to prepare the flight logbook. That's a journal that contains the official record of a journey. Some places, especially those flying long distances, have secret bedrooms for crew members to catch some shut-eye. These bedrooms, called crew rest compartments, are located either at the back of the plane or behind the cockpit. Such a compartment can have up to 10 comfortable beds where flight attendants can have a rest. Plane windows are made of super strong plexiglass that can easily cope with high speeds. And the window panes are shaped in a special way so that the high pressure inside the cabin pushes them against the aircraft body. In other words, plane windows are very unlikely to get broken. Once upon a time, plane windows were square. But the pressure built up in the corners of such windows, making them ultimate weak spots. This means that each square window had four weak spots. This made them likely to crash under the enormous stress of high altitudes. Luckily, making airplane windows curved solved this problem once and forever. Such a shape distributes the pressure and reduces the likelihood of cracks or any other damage. Planes regularly get struck by lightning, at least once a year or once per 1,000 hours of flight time. These days, it's totally safe. The electric charge simply runs through the aircraft's aluminum shell. It doesn't cause the plane any damage. But did you know that airplanes not only get hit by lightning, but they also trigger it? When an aircraft is flying through a cloud, the friction between its fuselage and the air creates static electricity. Sometimes it can cause lightning. So there you are. You have a long flight, or worse, a series of flights ahead of you, and it makes you stressed out. But don't worry, I'll tell you about some tricks and secrets from experienced travelers that will make your journey easier and more relaxed. First things first, tell me the truth. Are you an overpacker? Then I've got a solution for you. Try to use all the space available to you. For example, it's a great idea to put small items, like socks or a swimsuit, inside your shoes. Pack your scarf and belt into your handbag, and so on. If you're going to travel with a backpack, put the heaviest items at the bottom. Also, try to roll everything. This way, your clothes will take up less space and will wrinkle less. Now, when going on a trip, leave your massive wallet at home. Instead, put all your essentials, like your passport or cash, into a small container or even a toiletries bag. You can also use a mint tin to keep your credit cards and money. Put everything inside, then cover it with a piece of paper and fill the tin with mints. Voila! The perfect hiding spot is ready. Leave large bottles of ocean or moisturizer at home. Get a contact lens case and fill its compartments with the products you need. It'll come in handy during the flight – the air is really dry inside the plane. You can use small travel containers for literally any product you think you'll need during your trip. But if you're worried some liquids might spill, put some plastic wrap over the top of the container, and only after that, cover it with the lid. If you have some vitamins or other pills with you, you can get a travel pill organizer like this one from Amazon. It has several compartments of different sizes, and each of them can hold from 13 to 21 pills or capsules. It also has a sealing ring that will keep your pills safe from dust and dampness. Now, you come to the airport well ahead of time and decide to wander through the duty-free zone. And even though you weren't planning to buy anything, you can't help but put some products in your pockets. Oh, I mean your shopping basket. Don't blame yourself, it's not your fault! Lots of airports are designed in a special way that makes you feel relaxed and at ease. Yep, I'm talking about all those huge windows, a lot of light massage chairs, and comfortable seating areas. And statistically, calm passengers are 10% more likely to spend money on retail duty-free and food. One more way airports manipulate you into spending your money is by making you walk through the shiny duty-free stores straight after the security check. But the most curious thing is that the walkway through such stores usually veers to the left. That's done because most people are right-handed, which means they'll use their right arm to pull their luggage and are more likely to look at the right side while passing through the stores. And the duty-free zone veering to the left leaves more space on the right where passengers are most likely to look. By the way, even though duty-free shops have a reputation for being cheaper than in stores, it's not always true. For example, sweets, beverages, and perfumes are likely to cost more at the airport. Plus, be careful with what you buy in a duty-free store if you have a connecting flight. Some airports don't allow you to carry liquids over 3.4 ounces through your layover destination, even if they're from a duty-free store and in sealed bags. Arriving at the airport 2 hours before your flight isn't really necessary. Sure, there are super-hectic ginormous transportation hubs where even 2 hours might not be enough. But in most cases, this recommendation is just an ingenious plan to make you spend more money on shopping, eating, and drinking. After you pass all the security checks and passport control, you'll have the golden hour ahead. That's 60 minutes during which you're most likely to open your wallet, to buy a coffee and sandwich, get a book to read, or even spend a hefty sum on a new perfume. Buying bottled water at the airport can easily make you go bankrupt. There's just one thing every traveler should know – there's free water at most airports. Just bring an empty water bottle through the security check and find a water refill station. These places are usually located near restrooms. If you can't find a modern refill station, there must be at least a water fountain. If you have an opportunity, don't exchange cash at the airport. You'll never get a good rate there. Those who have forgotten to buy some currency beforehand can instead order it online and collect it at the airport. Some services only need a few hours' notice for such an order. Or it might be even better to use an ATM to withdraw some cash at your final destination. Now to make your trip more stress-free, invest in a high-quality suitcase. This way, you'll be sure that its zipper won't break and your stuff won't end up scattered among other people's luggage. The best option is to get a lightweight one too. You don't need additional weight while traveling, right? And spinner wheels will help you move your suitcase around much more easily. If there's a possibility, put an electronic tracking device into your suitcase before you check it. It'll help you track your bag during your trip. It doesn't have to be something expensive – you can get one at a reasonable price. Now here's a very important tip – take a picture of everything you've packed in your bag before you go to the airport. This way, if your luggage is lost, you'll be able to make a claim with the airline or your insurance company by showing them the items that have been lost. It's bound to increase your chances of receiving compensation for your stuff. You might also consider printing out a copy of your boarding pass and putting it inside your suitcase. This way, if your suitcase gets lost, it'll be easier for airport workers to identify it. If you wear contact lenses, take them off before boarding the flight. That dry air inside the aircraft can dehydrate your eyes and make contact lenses immensely uncomfortable. When at the airport in a new country, you might be tempted to try some new food it has to offer or buy some unusual snacks to feast on later on the plane. Well, don't do this. Eating anything you're not used to before flying may result in spending more time than planned in the plane's bathroom. You know what I mean. Where's my passport? Ah, here it is. Wait, have I left my credit card at the store? No, it's here. Does that sound familiar? If you tend to worry about your documents and cards while wandering through the airport crowds, you can get yourself a multi-pocket neck wallet like this one. It has an adjustable neck strap and has enough space to hold your passport, cards, cash, and even your keys. If you're traveling with your family, you can get a large family travel wallet. You can find one spacious enough to contain all your documents and the most necessary stuff you need to have at hand while traveling. And if it's also divided into several named compartments, and some of these products are, you won't need to waste time trying to remember into which one you put your credit card. And here's a bonus fact for you. If you ever see the letters SSSS or star S star on your boarding pass, get ready for additional security checks. Instead of these letters, there may be a checkerboard pattern. Anyway, if you have any of these marks, your carry-on luggage can also undergo a thorough inspection. Why might they choose you for secondary screening? Well, some of the criteria are making a one-way reservation or paying cash for your ticket. In some cases, the selection is absolutely random. Ah yes, everyone loves a holiday, but figuring out what to pack in your luggage can be a daunting task, especially when you're limited on weight and baggage space. Not to mention, you're likely to do some holiday shopping on your adventure away from home. So you're going to need extra space on your return for all those souvenirs you've collected. Accumulating too much weight or bulk can end up costing you a handsome fee with the airline if you're not properly prepared. But you can now relax. You just focus on booking your vacation. We'll take care of your luggage with these handy traveling tips. No doubt your clothes are going to take up the bulk of your Considering most airline standards permit one bag for most local trips and up to two bags for longer distances, that doesn't grant you a whole lot of space if you plan on being fashionable on your getaway, especially in the winter. However, this doesn't mean you have to turn your undergarments inside out for repeated use. The key here is to be clever with how you pack. Firstly, you might want to consider how you're folding your clothes. The most space-sufficient method to store your wardrobe in a suitcase for travel is to roll up each item. Think of your clothes like those sleeping bags you used to take on your camping trips. They always seem too thick for their compacted covers, but with perseverance, you could roll it up tight enough to fit inside. Now, you don't need to wrestle with your clothes quite as much, but the same principle here applies. Start by folding your shirts, pants, and whatever else you plan on packing neatly, similar to how you might find them on a clothing store shelf. Then, when you have them in a relatively rectangular or squared-off shape, roll them up tightly. Now that you have your little clothes logs, start packing them into your bag, and behold, extra space! Now, here's something we've all experienced arriving at our holiday destination. We drop our suitcase on the hotel bed, open it up, only to find all our clothes unfurled and scattered like a tornado storm through our bag. Your luggage has had a rough journey from your home to your holiday destination. It's been dragged through airport terminals, tossed around by baggage handlers, and rocked back and forth during in-flight turbulence. A simple stationary item, rubber bands, will help you keep your clothes neat. Now that you've got them rolled up, place a couple of rubber bands around them to keep them from unfurling. This is an especially neat trick if you want to roll an outfit together as one. Maybe you've got head-to-toe denim that you can't wait to rock on your getaway. Fold up your clothes as before, then layer the different items of your ideal outfit atop each other. Roll them up as one, then use the rubber bands to keep them together. You can preemptively decide your day-to-day outfits before you even board the plane. However, you may still prefer to fold your clothes, especially business or formal shirts and pants. Lucky for you, we have a handy trick for that too. Instead of folding each item individually, we're going to lay it out all on top of each other. Start with your shirts and tops, alternating with one on top and one on the bottom, keeping the necks of your shirts at the center. Work your way down to your pants and smaller items until they're all laid out flat. Try to keep your pants in the middle. Finally, start folding your items in on themselves, with the shirts creating the outer layer, until you end up with a neat bundle like a present. You should be able to sit your bundle squarely into your bag. Want to save even more luggage space? Instead of putting your undergarments and socks into their own section, try fitting them into available spaces and gaps within the rest of your luggage. If you plan on taking a cap with you, for instance, the inside of your headwear is a great space to This applies to other small luggage items too, such as phone chargers and ties. Though keep in mind that you can also lay your ties and belts out flat across the clothes in your luggage to conserve space. And if you're really limited on baggage size, say all you have is a carry-on for a fortnight-long trip, here's another method. Get yourself some compression bags to store your These bags will compact multiple sets of clothes into the size of a small laptop bag. Fold up the clothes you intend to pack and store them into the compression bag. You should be able to fit eight to ten standard clothes items, or a few bulky ones. Once you've filled the bag, seal it and squeeze the air out through the built-in one-way pressure valve. The easiest way to do this is either by rolling it, and you should be pretty good at rolling your clothes by now, or by using your knees to apply pressure. You should be able to fit two to four of these compression bags in your standard carry-on suitcase, which is especially helpful if you want to save money by avoiding checked-in luggage. And you can take even more clothes on board with you if you stick them into a pillowcase. The best thing about this tip is that it also doubles as a comfy pillow for you to rest your head on during the flight. If you do have a bit more space to spare, another great way to keep your stuff organized is with packing cubes. It might not be as space efficient as compression bags, but a lot of travelers prefer them for tidier and well-organized packing. You might like to divide them by outfits or clothes types, such as one for pants and one for tops. You can easily purchase packing cubes from most online retail services and travel and camping stores. There are also packing cubes specially designed for one or more pairs of shoes. This is a great way to compact the space your shoes would otherwise take up in your luggage, and to keep your clean clothes from coming into contact with your footwear. Nobody wants their tops to smell like feet, right? If you're still struggling to bring all your items with you inside your suitcase, there are a couple more tricks that you can use for that extra bit of weight without the extra cost. The most obvious of which is to use your own body. That's right, time to layer up. Pick out all your bulky items and wear as many as you can manage. You can try wearing some shorts under your pants, or several layers of your winter wear, such as your sweater, jacket, and coat, all over the top of one another. You might be sweating a little, but most airports and planes are well air-conditioned. You can always shed some layers once you've boarded your flight. At least you'll have some warm wear to snuggle up in if you do get cold up there in the clouds. If you don't want to wear all those layers, there's actually another type of bag you can carry on the plane with you, free of charge. Get yourself a duty-free bag from any of the duty-free stores in the airport. You can even hang on to it for next time. Store all your extra items in your duty-free bag and carry it onto your flight at no additional cost. It's also worth considering what type of luggage you're using. More importantly, how much it weighs. A lot of people forget that the standard 15 pounds permitted by most airlines includes the actual weight of their suitcase. The bag itself can often weigh up to 4 to 6 pounds. That's a huge chunk of your weight in the bag alone. So, when you're shopping for your luggage, take into account how much it weighs. Choosing a lighter bag will give you more space for the items you want to take with you. Stick to some of these handy tips and you'll be on your way with no shortage of There are so many ways to make airplanes safer. For example, they could have ejector seats so that every passenger could be rescued. In reality though, it's way more difficult than it sounds. If there were ejector seats, your trip would be very different. Everyone would have to be strapped into a seat with a harness to make sure they wouldn't fall out of it. Then you would have to wear an oxygen mask all throughout the flight. An emergency can occur at any time. Then, ejection in itself is a big pressure on your body. Even fighter pilots who are physically prepared can still suffer severe injuries. For an average person, this process wouldn't be safe. So, however cool it sounds, ejection seats aren't very practical and are actually quite dangerous. Ok, well, at least they could have a parachute for each passenger. But this wouldn't be very useful either. Parachutes only sound like they can save many lives. First, having them isn't efficient. They're very costly and heavy. So, a plane would need to burn more fuel while flying if there were parachutes on board. It would all be worth it though if parachutes could make an actual difference to the safety of people, but they can't. Commercial planes aren't designed in a way that would make it safe to jump out of them, especially with a couple hundred people on board. Next, passengers aren't trained to use them. Imagine there's an emergency, the plane is falling, and 200 people are trying to deal with a parachute for the first time in their lives. It would be an absolute mess. Lastly, it's not safe to jump from the high altitudes planes fly at. So, oxygen masks, life vests, and boats are the best life-saving equipment, and every plane has those. You know those huge engines that they have under the wings? Yeah, look at them. They don't look safe at all. Birds can get pulled in, and it actually happens. They could at least put a grate in front of the rotating parts to prevent birds from getting in there. Turns out those engines pull inside huge amounts of air, and this is crucial for them to work properly. The more air gets swallowed, the more air gets compressed, mixed with fuel, and burned. And then, more of it gets pushed out from the other side, keeping the plane going. A cover at the front would be a barrier, significantly reducing the air inflow that is crucial for the proper work of the engines, and this would endanger the passengers. But hey, don't be too upset. Birds fly way lower than planes do, so they're only in danger for a few minutes at the beginning of the flight while the plane is climbing altitude, and at the very end when the plane is landing. So, very few of them ever get pulled in, and if they do, it's never a threat to the engines or a passenger's Planes also don't change up the gears like cars do, so technically they can't go backwards. The reason for this is that planes don't need to go backward. They can just turn around and move in the opposite direction, but face first. The only time when they need to move backward is when they have to get to the gate. And for those times, there's help. Push-back tractors. Those are small vehicles that can connect to airplanes and move them in the required direction. Watch out for those next time you fly. But technically speaking, planes can go backward if the engines start pushing the air forward instead of backward, but this is very dangerous for everyone around. One of the very few cases when they do it is during landing, to help slow the airplane down. There are cameras on the outside that let pilots navigate taxiways better. They come in especially handy during tricky maneuvering. But do you know, there are also cameras in airplane cabins? You can relax, there are no cameras in the lavatories. But yes, they are there in the cabin, and for security reasons only. Flight attendants monitor them to see what's not visible from their own seats. Of course, flight attendants can check everything just by walking down the cabin, and that's exactly what they do most of the time. So, cameras are mostly used during takeoff and landing, when everyone, including flight attendants, is supposed to sit down, as those are the most dangerous stages of a flight. Notice that it's exactly during these stages that the rules are particularly strict. All electronic devices should be turned off or put on airplane mode, and big electronic devices should be stored away. Window blinds should be raised and tables folded. Seats should be put in the upright position. You need to have your seatbelt fastened, and so on. This is all done for safety and to ensure fast evacuation in case of emergency. So, let's discuss these rules. Airplane mode on electronic devices is important to make sure that the signals that devices transmit don't interfere with the plane's electronic systems. If they interfere, they will block the radio's frequency pilots need to get their instructions. Do you remember that clicking sound a speaker makes right before your cell phone gets a call if the two devices are closed? This is the sound pilots might hear while communicating with air traffic control. Now, putting away large devices like laptops is important because they might turn into obstacles if you need to get out of the plane fast in case of an emergency. All the pathways should be as clear as possible. This is why everything should be packed away, seats straightened, and tables folded. There should be nothing blocking anyone's way. And lastly, window blinds. The lights on the airplane get turned off too. Those two things are done to make sure your eyes get used to the natural light outside the aircraft. Imagine it's night, some emergency happens, and the lights that were left on suddenly go off. People need to evacuate as fast as possible, but their eyes aren't adjusted to the dark yet, and they can't see anything. This will slow everyone down. If the lights inside are out, people get used to the darkness and will be able to evacuate faster. The same goes for window blinds. If it's day and they are raised, people are used to the light outside and can evacuate faster. Another reason is that when blinds are raised during landing, people outside can see what's going on inside the plane. For example, if there's fire or smoke and where exactly. This way, they can plan the evacuation process better. Also, you might have noticed black triangles drawn above some windows on the airplane. These triangles mark the seats from which the view on the airplane's wings is the best. It's needed for the crew to find the spot as fast as possible if, in case of emergency, they need to inspect the engines, slats, or flaps. This little triangle saves the plane crew a lot of time. We do talk about emergencies a lot, but they really don't happen often. It's more dangerous to drive a car than to fly by plane, and most of us get in the car every day. Yet, the fear of flying is still very much out there and people can get superstitious. In many cultures, the number 13 is considered unlucky, so airplane companies that often fly to those destinations just omit row 13. It's a small thing to do, but it can spare a few anxious passengers who happen to sit in row 13. In other cultures, like in Italy and Brazil, 17 is the unlucky number, and some aircraft have both rows 13 and 17 missing. In airplanes that fly to China, they can often omit row 14 instead. Pilots can't eat similar meals when they're working. Imagine that you're on a trans-oceanic flight. The airplane is flying over the Pacific Ocean. Flight attendants deliver the dinner meals. Everyone is enjoying the pasta. The sauce tastes a bit funny though. Hmm, that's probably okay. After all, you are eating an aircraft meal. It can't taste like a five-stars chef plate. Time goes by. Oh no, you were right! Something was indeed wrong with the food, but if all the passengers have the same problem, so do the pilots. To prevent both of them being out of order, pilots are advised not to eat the same meal at the same time. In such a scenario, if one pilot feels bad, the other one can take over. I mean, this is not an imperative rule stated by the Federal Aviation Administration, but most airlines make their own rules about this matter. Flight attendants have access to hidden equipment such as a defibrillator, supplemental oxygen, a fire extinguisher, and duct tape. But probably the most interesting gear they have is handcuffs. These objects are there to protect passengers from others and sometimes from themselves. Turns out that flight attendants have everything they need to defuse a troublemaker. Aviator sunglasses look cool on pilots in movies, but in real life, they don't wear polarized glasses. First off, they have a glare-reducing effect. This can cause some trouble in the cockpit. A pilot has to read instruments, but the stuff in the cockpit, such as LCD displays, emits polarized light. So a pilot with those cool polarized glasses can't read the displays with 100% efficiency. Pilots shouldn't wear these glasses simply because of safety concerns. Imagine a shimmer of glare coming from another plane's windscreen, but the pilot missed the sign because of polarized sunglasses. Ever noticed a hole in the tail of an airplane? Well, most commercial airplanes have it. Next time you get into an airplane, take a closer look. The hole has a fancy name, auxiliary power unit. It looks like a hole from the outside, but that is actually a hidden turbine engine. Most of the time, the APU will remain off for the entire flight. It will start working when plane lands. It provides power to the cabin lights, air conditioning, and cockpit electronics. Don't underestimate the APU's power, though. It can also provide the power required to start the main engines. You've watched a Bright Side video and learned what the APU is. A perfect icebreaker. Unfortunately, you're not in a chatty mood. You just want to take the plane, land, and start your vacation. Yet again, there is only one door to board. You are at the end of a queue. Why don't planes generally have multiple doors? According to the experts, the biggest issue is that the bridge takes up a lot of space. When an aircraft is loaded from the front and the rear, it takes up two slots. This is not ideal for the administrators. Newly remodeled or constructed terminals tend to have dual boarding compared to the older terminals. Change of scenery. Let's jump into a cruise ship. There are hidden passageways and secret doors in ships. These secrets are from an insider. Staff on the ship mostly work in their designated area. How does a worker get from one place to another without using the stairs and doors that the passengers use? There is a network of corridors and stairs all around the used only by the crew. I mean it when I say secret doors. They blend with the walls, so they go undetected by those who don't know where the door is. Maybe you can stumble by accident. Here is a clue. Pay attention to the walls near the guest stairs. Try to think of those gigantic cruise ships as floating metals. This leads me to a cruise cabin fun fact. The walls of the cruise ship cabin are magnetic. Imagine you're traveling to multiple countries on board a cruise ship. A single month voyage. You collect destination themed magnets and decorate your cabin. True cruise fans know this magnet magic, so they put a couple of magnetic hooks into their luggage. Neat tip. Use magnetic hooks to add extra storage in your cabin. Hang clothes and accessories, post cards or hats. Speaking of ships, why do some ships and boats have small holes constantly releasing water? To keep the bilge free of water. Water builds up over time inside the bilge, and the bilge pump automatically pumps the water out again. Ships don't have headlights. Using a headlight could prevent accidents. If they work for cars, why not for ships? Headlights are the source of light, but the light that comes out of them bounces back at the light source at some point. With cars for instance, headlights work because the area you want lit is narrow, and you can easily take action if you see an obstacle on the road. For ships, this is super hard. The light source should be powerful enough to light the area the captain wants to see. Large cargo ships, for instance, need more than a mile to stop or take action. Plus, imagine how much brighter should the ship's light be to light the whole area in front of it. They do see each other with different sorts of lights called navigation lights. These are small but practical. They arrange it in a standardized way so that ships could see each other. The exciting thing is that they don't just notice one another in the dark. They also understand each other's movements and directions. Here's an example. Imagine a ship with two nav lights. The one on the front is lower, near the ship floor. The other one on the back is high up. This means the vessel goes to the right. It can safely pass by the other ships without hitting them. Trains don't have seatbelts. A bit weird. Every time there is a crash related to trains, this matter comes up. Pretty much nowhere in the world seatbelts are used on trains. Various studies have been made about this issue. Some of them created simulations of accidents, and the results were surprising. Using a seatbelt on a train could potentially increase the number of injuries. In cars, seatbelts are highly effective in protecting the passenger and are used all the time. The logic behind the seatbelt is to protect the person when a collision causes rapid deceleration. But trains carry so much momentum that they don't stop rapidly. On a plane, passengers use a seatbelt on takeoff, during landing, and if turbulence occurs. There are no such things for trains. Entering and leaving a station is not a high risk. Experts believe focusing and making investments are other ways to improve railway safety. Now you are traveling by train. You look outside the window. There are small stones along the railway tracks to accompany you on the journey. Those stones are formally known as track ballast. They do a very important job. They provide support to and maintain the tracks. They're not there by mere coincidence though. Now look at the stones closer. You can notice that there is no single smoothly cut stone on the tracks because they're not regular stones randomly poured at the rails. Each rock has sharp and abrupt edges. Sharp edges hold on to each other. They protect the railroad from harsh concussions. They facilitate water drainage in heavy rain and keep down the grass and other weeds. Now imagine replacing those with round pebbles. They will slide down. Eventually the ballast will spread out and tracks will fall apart. The last thing you would want, especially if you were a passenger on that train.