A new travel trend has emerged on social media platforms, but experts caution that it might pose serious risks to health and safety.
TikTok is buzzing with tips for making air travel more comfortable, especially for those who find sleeping on planes a challenge due to the cramped seating.
Some TikTok users advocate a technique they claim will revolutionize in-flight comfort. However, experts warn that it could be hazardous.
The trend involves lifting your legs onto the seat’s edge, unfastening the seatbelt, and re-fastening it around your legs.
In a widely shared video, a TikTok user demonstrated this method during her flight.
TikTok user Tanjinayaps is shown detaching her seatbelt and re-securing it around her shins before attempting to sleep again.
Commenters on her video expressed concerns about the potential dangers in emergency situations.
One viewer commented: “Highly unsafe and dangerous in the event of emergency. this is not how it is supposed to be used.”
Another user echoed this sentiment, saying: “A crash isn’t the only type of emergency. You could hit bad turbulence and fly out of your seat when not buckled.”
A third added: “In case of an emergency, Chances of survival 0x1000.”
Another remarked: “With enough turbulence you’ll hit the ceiling.”
While some users are skeptical about the comfort of this position, dismissing its safety concerns, a medical professional warns of potential health risks.
Carole Lieberman, M.D., a psychiatrist skilled in providing mental health care for airline passengers, discussed this with Fox News Digital.
She indicated that adopting this position could heighten the risk of deep vein thrombosis (DVT), a condition where a blood clot forms in a deep vein.
The Cleveland Clinic notes that DVT can lead to pain, swelling, warmth, and redness, and poses a serious threat if the clot travels to the lungs, causing a pulmonary embolism (PE).
Lieberman stated: “This trend is very dangerous because it keeps the legs in a tightly compressed position.”
She continued, “Deep vein thrombosis can cause pulmonary embolisms, which can be deadly.”