Why you should take the straw out of your water bottle before flying

A plane passenger has taken to TikTok to warn other travellers about flying with water bottles that have straws in them. Photo / TikTok

An American traveller is now prepared for the next time she flies with her water bottle after she experienced an unfortunate incident on the plane that saw her fall victim to the changes in pressure within the bottle.

The traveller, Kat Darby, uploaded a video to her TikTok account @lifted_pdx in December 2023 informing others about her experience taking her reusable Hydro Flask water bottle on a flight, reported Indy100.

The video has since accrued nearly one million views and thousands of comments.

Darby describes how much she loves her water bottle, making special note of the fact it has a straw to facilitate easier drinking.

However, she discovered there are some hidden things to look out for when using one on a plane: “What I did not account for was water pressure.”

After flicking up the bottle top to take a swig, it was already too late.

“So, when I opened it, it proceeded to piss like a hose all over my row, the row in front of me, the row behind me, the row across from me and down,” Darby described.

“I hit - easily you know, cause I was flying in coach - like, 15 people with my squirting water bottle because, lucky for me, this thing holds, like, 30 ounces [887ml],” she said.

After the chaotic incident began to unfold, she had to put her finger over the top of the straw to stop the water from spilling out further.

When she did so, “it proceeded to spray me in the face”, she said.

However, she learned a valuable lesson from the experience, telling her followers to “never fly on a plane with a giant water bottle with a f***ing straw in it”.

@lifted_pdx

Never fly on a plane with a water bottle with a straw in it. #holidaytraveltips #travelmistakes

♬ original sound - Kat Darby Lifted Book Reviews

People shared similar stories in the comments below, with one saying: “Worse!!!! We put chocolate milk in it... with two kids.”

“I brought a sippy cup with a snap-on cap filled with red juice for my daughter. As soon as she took a sip... looked like a crime scene!” a second person lamented.

“I did this... it was the fountain that never ended! That really should be on the flight attendant puppet show before the flight,” added a third.