Let’s face it – unless you are flying first class, flying is not the most enjoyable activity. Between the long lines, poor food options, and tiny seats, you can only hold your hat on reaching your destination. Fortunately, some anonymous airline veterans have some behind-the-scenes advice on how to make your experience more enjoyable. Here are some of their tricks revealed in a Reddit thread.

Suitcase Zipper Locks Are A Waste

Certainly, you care about your possessions and want everything that you packed to make it home with you. While you might think you are saving yourself by adding a zipper lock on your bag, it actually does less than you would hope. It is easy to pry open a zipper with a pen, and you can then drag the locked zipper to close it afterward. If you’re worried about thieves, use a latched bag.

Headphones From Home

Most flights have some type of in-flight entertainment which helps you make it through the flight without only your thoughts. If you plan to use the radio or movies, be sure to bring your own headphones from home. The headphones distributed by the airlines are not new, even though they come in a package. They are simply ‘washed’ and repackaged.

Be Nice

Flying might be stressful, but it is no reason to lash out at airline employees. In fact, being kind to them might work in your favor. They will let you get away with an overweight bag or help you change your seat if your neighbor is unruly. One employee said s/he would not even charge you for your bag if you were funny.

Remove Old Baggage Tags

It might be nice for you to keep memories of your past travels, but make sure to tear off those baggage tags once your trip is over. Bags frequently miss their flights or end up on the wrong plane because the handler had to sift through numerous tags.

The Lone Star State is a mysterious and bizarre place, full of surprises. Join us as we explore a collection of photos which show the wild and hilarious things you’ll only find in Texas.

If there’s anything folks from Texas know how to do, it’s cook for the whole family. This gentleman was looking for a way to cook as many hot dogs as possible in a short amount of time. Out of his desperation, came ingenuity, creativity, and innovation. By utilizing an old rake he had lying around in the shed, he managed to roast 17 weiners at the same time. Texans truly give a whole new meaning to the word “crafty!”

The Lone Star State is all about efficiency. For the young gentleman in this photo, that means eating your corn on the cob as fast as possible, even if it means using power tools to do so. The reason he wanted to eat so fast was that he had tickets to a Nascar race that he was running late for. While he was able to devour his corn in record speed, he unfortunately lost a few teeth in the process.

This Texas couple will be rolling up to this year’s high school prom in style. In true southern fashion, the gentleman in the photo decided to go with a classic camouflage-colored tuxedo, while his girlfriend picked up a matching camouflage dress. While the couple had an amazing time dancing the night away and enjoying their last social gathering before college, they failed to win the titles of prom king and queen because none of their classmates could see them.

Objects in Texas come in two varieties. Either you can have something Lone Star-shaped, or you can have something Texas-shaped. There are no other options! And you can be sure that every good Texan can darn well draw the shape of Texas, blindfolded using the mouth to hold the pencil, before they know how to write the ABC. That’s just how things ae done in this state, and the people who live there are proud of it!

Every little girl grows up fantasizing about her perfect dream wedding. Before the age of 15, most girls have planned out every single detail, including what they will wear, where the wedding will be, how many friends and family they’ll invite, if they’ll hire a band or DJ, and how their wedding album will look. For girls from Texas, this may or may not involve a photo shoot in a tree with a wedding gown and chainsaw in hand.

In a state that nearly shuts down just because someone smelled snow in the air, you probably won’t find many opportunities to build an actual snowman. It’s a good thing children have such vivid imaginations, because if the state were populated only by adults no one would ever think t have so much fun with tumbleweed. They may be a symbol of the desert desolation, but now they can also become a festive winter decoration for families that live in never-ending summer.

This adorable pair of Texas newlyweds decided that the best way to say “I do” was while holding on to one thing they love most in this world (besides each other that is). To you, it might seem a bit strange that they wanted to tie the knot what carrying these two heavy-duty personal protective devices. But that’s probably just because you don’t know Texas, a land where everyone is proud to know and use their rights to bear arms.

This Texas resident wanted to enjoy a dinner for one while watching the Dallas Cowboys’ football game. Because he didn’t want to miss a second of the action, he needed to figure out a way to eat without needing to shift his focus from the television to the table every time he wanted to take a bite. So he decided to get creative and look for something lying around the house that could solve his dilemma. He ended up finding his solution in the bathroom.

Sonic may be one of the last true drive-in restaurants, but when you live in Texas, the idea of arriving in a car or four-wheeled vehicle is just a suggestion. Most food service establishments would say no to animals on their premises, but it’s hard for a drive-in to claim that the health inspector said no horses allowed. Instead, this Texas location happily serves any customers no matter how they arrive, whether it’s by car, horse, or cow.

It really warms the heart to see two Texans madly in love with each other. After all, nothing says “I love you” like putting on a wedding dress and tuxedo and toting around your hunting rifles for a photoshoot. You can really see that this special couple has a bright future together based on the way that they stare into each other’s eyes as they fire off a few rounds in the direction of some ducks flying by.

This Texas resident needed to sell off some of his belongings in order to make a quick buck before heading off to jail to serve a three-year sentence. Rather than use Craigslist or eBay, he decided to hold a one-of-a-kind yard sale in front of his home in Austin. To advertise the event, he went to the local crafts store and bought some markers and green construction paper. The catchiest name he could think of was the “Going to Jail Sale.”

Texans live by the motto, “If you’re going to do something half-hearted, you might as well not do it in the first place.” In Texas, there’s no such thing as too much of anything, especially when it comes to toilet paper. Just ask this guy, who only restocks his outhouse with Costco’s super mega heavy-duty high-powered family-sized toilet paper. During an average month, he goes through about five or six of these bad boys, and he wouldn’t have it any other way.

While people in other states may choose to indulge in fancy appetizers that cost way more than they should, folks in Texas like to keep their food simple. Besides, who says cheap and elegant don’t go together? Just one glance at this delicious tray of “redneck calamari,” and you’ll realize that Texans know fine dining and upscale cuisine the same way they know rodeos and high school football. Our mouths are watering just looking at this photo!

There’s an unwritten law in Texas that any drive-through fast food joint is also a ride-through. This is because many residents of the Lone Start State prefer to use an eco-friendly horse as their primary method of transportation rather than a fossil-fuel consuming car.

Texans take pride in their cowboy culture. This usually involves rodeo, spurs, country music and – of course – cowboy boots. There’s probably not one person in Texas who doesn’t own a pair of cowboy boots – so it makes sense that they probably know the best way to style them. One Texan had a big issue when he saw pictures from the New York Pride Parade. You just never – NEVER – wear cowboy boots with shorts! Every Texan knows that.

Texan’s may be well known for their ability to grow and abundance of various agricultural products, but they definitely aren’t known for their ability to spell those products. The owner of this makeshift roadside produce station was confident that he’d be able to sell out all of his vegetables. Unfortunately, he couldn’t manage to spell one word correctly on his sign, so no one came to buy his fresh vegetables. He ended up feeding them to some nearby horses.

When you’ve got a lifted truck like the one we see in this photo, there’s really no reason to abide by traditional parking rules and regulations. In Texas, these lifted trucks are pretty common, and therefore, law enforcement officers have just about given up on punishing them for parking jobs like the one in this photo. The way they see it, if you’re wimpy Jeep can’t hold its own in the Target parking lot, you better get yourself an upgrade!

We’re going to go out on a limb here and say that this bag of Fritos was not purchased this way. The most likely explanation for the appearance of this decadent snack is that Texans do everything full-tilt. Whether it’s upgrading their truck, or calming their appetite before dinner, Texans don’t do anything half-way. So instead of eating a boring bag of chips, Texans like to add ground beef and grated cheese. Think of it as their own all-American style of nachos.

The owner of this Texas Chick-Fil-A restaurant knows exactly who eats at his restaurant. So if you thought that this photo is showing a malfunction with the electricity in the store’s sign, rest assured that there is no defect here. It’s all part of the restaurant owner’s new marketing strategy. By clearing calling upon the folks who are most likely to eat in his fast food facility, he is hoping to raise sales to record-breaking numbers, and finally get himself out of debt.

When this Texas princess needed to buy a new dress, she decided to get one that would match her favorite possession in the whole world- her truck. Now she’s riding in style, and looking great while off-roading in her 4X4. While northerners might find this style a bit out of the ordinary, in Texas, camo is the one color that goes with anything, and it’s not uncommon to see folks casually walking around in camouflage-colored pants, sports jackets, skirts, and dresses.

This Texas resident is conserving his body’s finite energy by using this heavy-duty high-powered supercharged motorized personal transportation device. After first purchasing it, he decided that he needed to upgrade the normal wheels it came with to these military-grade off-road capable wheels. Now, he is able to travel through all the rough terrain that the great state of Texas has to offer. He can take his chair through the sandy deserts, up the rugged mountains, and even through wet swamps.

Only in the Lone Star State will you find a baby cow locked up on a bicycle rack, patiently waiting for his owner to return from running errands. Surprisingly, the only person who even looked twice at this bizarre scene was the man behind the camera, who’s from out of town and was visiting some relatives. Apparently, Texans are quite used to seeing livestock outside of farms and in places where the average American would least expect to see them.

When it comes to food, Texans like to push the single portion limits. Just take this massive cinnamon bun for example. This kid can’t even take a bite of the enormous sweet treat without getting sticky frosting all over his face. We would suggest trying to eat it with a fork and knife, but that would be a clear violation against the Texas code of ethics. He’s just going to have to go face-first and deal with the messy consequences later.

The owner of this Texas diner was sick of tourists asking if they served breakfast, so he decided to put up this massive billboard on the side of the highway, answering the frequently asked question. Although folks from out of town have complained that the language on the sign is just a bit too abrasive, Texans seem to love it. They find the roadside sign to be hilarious. Since investing in the billboard, the diner has seen business skyrocket.

In Texas, just about everyone loves cowboy hats. Residents of the Lone Star State wear them every chance they get. Whether the weather is sunny, rainy, cloudy, hot, humid, or windy, you can bet your bottom dollar that a Texan will be sporting some kind of cowboy hat on their head. The state’s obsession with the southern fashion accessory is so extreme that they even began adding them to the little logo on the men’s and women’s restroom signs.

You’ve probably seen signs like this in public places that say “no pets allowed,” but only in Texas will you find signs that let the general public know that it’s not acceptable to bring livestock with them to stores, parks, and shops. In any other state, it’s pretty much assumed that horses, cows, pigs, goats, and sheep should be kept at home, or, better yet, in a barn. But, for some reason, Texans need to be reminded that this sort of behavior is unacceptable.

Any Texas resident will tell you that there’s nothing better than a family reunion down at the mud pit. It’s truly an amazing time for family members of all ages. Old or young, everyone gets involved in the magical tradition. The best part of the whole weekend is the mud pit belly flop contest. Last year Uncle Jeff took the title, but this year Grandpa Joe has recovered from his hip surgery and is looking to take back the title that was once his.

Texas traditions don’t make a lot of sense to most Northerners, or anyone from outside of Texas for that matter. This is yet another one of them. Far from being ridiculed by their classmates from showing up in an outfit that makes them look as if spools of tinsel threw up on them, these girls are competing to see who has the best costume. They claim this is related to school spirit, but we don’t really believe it.

Texas and other Southern states might be known for their rodeos, but you probably never knew that they take bull riding so seriously it’s considered the state sport. There’s nothing like proving how manly you are by jumping on a fully grown male cow until it gets so annoyed by your presence that it puts all of its energy into throwing you off its back. Sure, bull riding might have been necessary when cattle roamed freely, but now it’s relegated to Texan nostalgia.

It might be called a car wash, but you probably didn’t know that in Texas, “car” is short for “cattle.” When you live in a place that was built by life on the range, you better make sure there’s room to bring a cow into the carwash, after all, the state is known for its Texas Longhorns. Trucks might be the preferred vehicle of choice these days, but many still remember th good old days when cattle was king.

When your hometown pride is this strong, you better make sure that any passing planes or drones know just how much you care. In Texas, it’s not simply enough to outdo your neighbors by having the biggest house on the block. You can one up all of your friends and neighbors by making sure that you build your mansion in the shape of the great state itself. It’s a good thing it’s so big, otherwise, you’d never win the contest.

When cowboy culture is king, you have to be clear about what is and isn’t welcome if you own a bar. After one too many cowpeople got their boots stuck in this rustic wooden table, this establishment finally had to put their foot down, just not on the table, of course. While they couldn’t ban spurs outright, they thought the sign would be enough. Sadly, they couldn’t stop the people from dancing on tables with their boots on.

When you spend your days chasing down trucks as big as the ones that are generally found in the Lone Star State, a regular old police car just won’t cut it. Sure, the highway patrol considered investing in a batmobile, but knowing how Texans react to anything high tech, they knew the only way to stay in control was to show up with the biggest vehicle. No one on the road could compete with this kind of cruiser.

Texans are known for their pride in always being the biggest, but some people don’t realize that those arenas actually hold clout with their neighbors. Own the biggest cow, the biggest house, the biggest hair? You’ve got their respect. But when it comes to growing the biggest pecan, this Texas farmer couldn’t have been more excited, only to find that no one else cared about having a big nut. If you can’t use it for pie, what’s even the point?

If there’s one way to keep the party away, it’s to ban all of the fun parts of it, without forbidding parties themselves. The people weren’t sure how to react to this sign. Half of them rejoiced that their favorite Texas souvenirs hadn’t been totally banned, but the other half got to hatching a plan. One night, they all snuck in with dozens of pinatas and confetti eggs. Drinks were poured freely. By morning, not a soul was found, but the confetti was everywhere.

Up in New England, bed and breakfasts are a popular option for spending a weekend away. The accommodations offer home-cooked meals, cozy rooms, and usually, activities. Down in Texas, however, such quaint past times are unheard of. On the other hand, you don’t get free 72 oz steaks when you stay at a motel in the north. At The Big Texan, not only are the rooms bigger, so are the steaks. For locals, there’s little that be better when it comes to a weekend away.

While northern folks would probably find this sign appalling, Texans don’t see anything wrong with it. That’s because Texas residents love their convenience. Rather than run around from one side of town to the other in search of all of their basic necessities, they would much rather be able to run all of their errands at the same place. Additionally, Texans hate having to run around in the heat, so the ice cream with a kick is a solution to make everyone happy.

There’s only one way to beat the brutal Texas heatwaves in the summer, and that’s with a good ole’ fashioned pickup truck swimming pool. In addition to being incredibly simple and easy to make, they’re the perfect fun solution when you’re local swimming hole is too busy. All you need to do is throw down a tarp and a bag of ice in the bed of your pickup truck, fill it with water and enjoy a relaxing afternoon with your buddies.

Even though just about everyone has heard the expression, “everything is bigger in Texas,” very few people have actually experienced this phenomenon first-hand. It’s one thing to simply hear that Texas is a country full of super-sized food, over-sized trucks, and larger-than-life personalities, but to see it up close and personal is a whole different story. The woman in this photo is actually from the East coast, but upon seeing what Texas has to offer, she became a full-blown country girl!

The expression “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure” has never been truer. When Jim Bob’s neighbor threw away this old filing cabinet, Jim Bob knew he hit the jackpot. Just one week prior, his grill had broken down and he had been searching for a replacement. In order to fill the void in his life, he gathered up the discarded filing cabinet left by his wasteful neighbor and turned it into the most organized grill you’ve ever seen.