Ever wonder why airplane passengers are asked to lift up their window shades before takeoff and landing? A flight attendant explains why they do this. Following is a transcript of the video.

Why airlines ask you to lift up the window shades for takeoffs and landings.

The FAA requires that every airplane can be fully evacuated in 90 seconds or less. Meaning a flight crew only has 90 seconds to direct passengers to emergency exits. To prepare for a potential evacuation, flight attendants ask passengers in emergency exit rows to lift up their window shades before takeoff and landing.

One flight attendant tells us...

"If there's an emergency, we have to be able to look out the window to assess outside conditions. If there is debris, fire, or water blocking the window, we won't use that exit and will direct people elsewhere. It may seem like a small thing but in an emergency every second counts. You don't want to have to fiddle with a window shade when you're trying to safely evacuate a plane in 90 seconds."

EDITOR'S NOTE: This video was originally published on April 6, 2016.