The Unexpected 'Souvenir' Passengers Take With Them, According To Flight Attendants

Admit it: You've probably taken something from a plane. Maybe it's the air sickness bag that you didn't use. Perhaps it's some silverware from first class. Or maybe you've taken an airline pillow or blanket (which is actually a germ factory, by the way). However, you may be surprised to hear that, according to a number of flight attendants, people are taking the life vests from under their seats. Some are even reselling them on eBay, as one flight attendant named Ryan Gray, who writes a blog for The Sun, revealed (via news.com.au). (Do a quick eBay search and you'll see that he's right.) According to an anonymous Ryanair flight attendant who spoke to Express.co.uk, some passengers took life vests on his flight from London to Ibiza because, as he said, it was, "the latest fashion trend in the Ibiza club scene" and people were getting into clubs for free with them.

To be clear, though this should be obvious, life vests are there for your safety. They aren't souvenirs to be taken home. Unfortunately, that doesn't stop some sneaky fliers, like one caught in the act of swiping a life vest in a viral Reddit post. It should go without saying that this is not just an issue of theft. Stealing plane life vests could have serious implications for passengers on future flights in the case of an emergency. Getting into a club or simply having one in your home is no excuse for depriving someone of life-saving equipment.

From the moment you step on a plane, flight attendants are doing what they can to help keep you safe. They give you a safety briefing, telling you where to find your life vest in case of a water landing, and how to use it. In addition, flight attendants notice things about you, like if you seem strong enough to help in an emergency, and they also check the shoes you wear on a flight. (Heels are dangerous in an emergency situation, in case you were wondering.) While they may let you get by with taking that not-actually-free blanket or pillow, you won't get a pass if you steal a life vest. In fact, Miami criminal defense attorney Jeff Weiner told The Points Guy, "It's theft. Those are not items for you to keep."

People have gotten in trouble for this. In 2014, a man was arrested for trying to take two life vests from a flight in Albuquerque for prank gifts. A woman was also arrested and fined for taking one from a Cathay Pacific flight in 2015. Ryan Gray mentioned that, when a vest goes missing, flight attendants usually know who took it, since they know who was sitting in which seat, and that, because airlines can be fined if they don't have enough safety equipment, they may call you to get it back.

So, what do you do if you witness someone taking a life vest out of a plane? While it's not a good idea to confront someone directly, it's worth telling a flight attendant or other crew member. That way, even if they can't get it back, they can get it replaced before the plane takes off again.