Real reason cabin crew greet you with their hands behind their backs

Cabin crew are always on hand when you are boarding your plane, with most of them standing in the exact same position every single time to direct you to your seat.

And in doing so, most of them are stood with their hands behind their back - something that is done for one very specific reason.

Whether it is simply saying 'hello' to you as you board the flight, or making sure those who have drank too much in the airport lounge are watched closely, flight attendants do certain things when it comes to getting on board.

All of them have their own reason, with cabin crew running everything to do with the plane outside of flying the thing.

They're also fountains of knowledge, taking to social media themselves to offer us some handy advice when it comes to certain things like why you should never take your shoes off on the plane.

You should always try and wear your sunglasses, too, for a very specific reason.

Lots goes on around you that you don't even notice, with one of those things being the cabin crew standing tall with their arms out of sight.

Upright and arms behind their backs, they look like they're simply greeting you on to the plane in a polite manner.

Well, they are. But it is also a little more than just that alone.

Cabin crew run the plane outside of the cockpit (Getty Stock Images)

Why do cabin crew hide their hands behind their backs?

Cabin crew put their hands behind their backs for security reasons.

No, they're not ready with pepper spray in case of a rude, drunk passenger (although some might argue they should be). Instead, they have a simply clicker in their hands.

So as not to make people confused or ask questions as to what is going on, the clicker is kept out of sight.

Its purpose? A simple head count of who is on board to make sure no one has gone missing, and the number on board match the number who went through the airport gate.

Cabin crew are responsible for your safety and wellbeing (Robert Alexander/Getty Images)

Are clickers really needed on planes?

Yes. Back in 2019, a flight from London Stansted Airport to Belfast was delayed by two hours when staff ran in to trouble counting passengers.

As reported by the Belfast Telegraph, roughly 100 passengers were left stood on the runway floor while crew did their best to confirm numbers.

According to eye witnesses on the flight, cabin crew said they had to account for everyone before they could legally take off. Two people were thought to be missing.

“It looked as though there were two people on the flight who couldn’t be accounted for,” a passenger revealed.

“The flight attendants kept telling us that legally they couldn’t take off until they had the correct number of passengers.”

The plane took to the skies at midnight after everyone was accounted for; one hour and 50 minutes after it was meant to.