Retired secret service agent explains why you should never wear flip flops to the airport

Getting ready for your summer holiday from the airport usually means most of us are planning to hit the airport bar and donning our flip flops to be beach ready on the other side.

However, I wouldn't be so quick to put on your flip flops as a former security agent has warned that actually wearing them could be a major mistake.

Here he explains why:

The former agent, who goes by the handle @texascrimetravelers, took to TikTok last year to issue his warning.

"Here's one thing I would never do. I would never wear flip flops in an airport." he said.

"I know it's a hassle of going through TSA to take the shoes off and have to put shoes back on, and it's easy just to kick kick off flip flops and put them back on, but if there was ever an emergency that you had to evacuate the airport quickly or even exit the aircraft quickly, you don't want to be stuck in flip flops when you're trying to hustle.

"One time we were flying back to the United States, and our plane had to make an emergency landing in Brazil.

"Of course, the airport wasn't ready for us, so they landed us at this runway on the outskirts of the airport.

TikTok/texascrimetravelers

"And of course, out there, there's no jet bridge, so we had to exit the aircraft by its own stairs and walk to the terminal, which seemed about a mile and we walked across not only the runway, but we had to walk between airfield and the fields were muddy. It was cold. It was rainy."

He added: "And I just don't think if you had flip flops on, you would have been able to make it to the airport."

So there you have it.

His words of wisdom aren't the only piece of sensible travel advice.

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Experts have been pleading with travellers to heed their warning that, despite how tempting it might be to snuggle into bed after a long day, a quick and easy bed bug check could save days and months of further stress.

HuffPost Senior Editor Caroline Bologna, who spoke about the subject on HuffPost’s “Am I Doing It Wrong?” podcast, co-hosted by Raj Punjabi and Noah Michelson, said: "I have two really good friends who have gotten bed bugs in New York [hotels] before. It doesn’t matter how nice the hotel is ― they’re not attracted to grime."

She then urged: "They like upholstery — just look at the sheets. Just peel back one of the corners of the bed, look at the seams of the mattress… just check. Check anything upholstered. Look at the headboard. Look at the chairs.

"If you don’t see anything, you’re probably totally fine."