It is certainly not uncommon to have a cup of coffee on a plane, is it? Especially for those really early fights where you are struggling to stay awake.
However, according to one flight attendant, you really shouldn't be indulging in the caffeine boost due to a stomach-churning reason.
Plane etiquette is a hot topic of conversation on social media, particularly during the summer months.
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That doesn't mean the debate goes away in the winter months though, people do travel all year round after all!
Now, one flight attendant has started a debate after revealing why you shouldn't be drinking coffee mid-flight.
User @ichbinvin posted a video to TikTok where he went through a Reddit post that saw flight attendants reveal their 'dirty little secrets' of the industry.
The flight attendant began the video by reading one particular comment that will make coffee drinkers on planes feel a little bit sick.
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It read: "Not a flight attendant, but pilot: Don't drink coffee on board. The water tanks on airplanes are rarely, if ever cleaned, and they use this water to make coffee on board. I don't want to think about cold and bacteria growing in those tanks."
Shockingly, the flight attendant explained how this should be the least of your concerns when it comes to drinking coffee on an airplane.
He claimed that flight attendants aren't suppose to empty coffee pots in drains so instead dump it down the toilet.
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You can see where this is going, can't you?
The TikToker explained: "When you take a coffee pot and dump it in the toilet, in order to not make a huge mess everywhere, you have to get a little close to the toilet.
"I imagine there is some kind of backsplash of particles, bacteria that goes directly back into the coffee pot which gets put right back into the coffee maker."
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He added: "So unless the airline you're flying with has an espresso maker on the plane, I would not get regular drip coffee on the plane."
After analysis was done by researchers at CUNY's Hunter College at 2019, it was advised that passengers should not drink water on board unless it comes from a sealed bottle.
This includes not drinking coffee or tea brewed on their flight, while also using hand sanitizer instead of washing their hands with water on board after using the toilet.
In a 2019 study, the majority of ten major and 13 regional airlines were found to violate the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Aircraft Drinking Water Rule.
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The 2011 law requires airlines requires airlines to provide all those on board with safe drinking water.
Though I'm sure many people have drunk coffee on a plane and lived to tell the tale, so you do you.
Topics: TikTok, Travel, Food and Drink
Callum Jones