Oblivious people in airports.

[Pollydonia]

....usually men.
I was in the UK for a family emergency, travelled back to Spain ( where I live) yesterday.
God almighty, the amount of men adults who are seemingly unaware that other people are around them was beyond a joke.
Person 1 stops in the revolving door to check something in his bag, stopping the door and trapping us with him. He took his sweet time, apparently unconcerned that he had stopped 12 plus people from going through the door.
Person 2 was travelling with his female partner and young kids. Going through security his partner read the signs, sorted the things that needed to be taken out of bags / pockets for herself and 3 kids. He ignored the signs and tried to walk through still carrying his bag. Was most affronted when stopped and told to put his belongings into the container to go through the Xray. Had to be told 3 times to take his shoes off.
Number 3 walked into me as I was ordering a coffee, on his phone, no apology or acknowledgment of my existence.
Number 4 ,well she ignored the flight staff who told her to board at the back and tried to walk the full lengh of the plane whilst other people were boarding correctly, then tried to get up to go to the toilet during takeoff.
I must also say that the many children and babies on the flight were no trouble at all 😀.
Is there something about airports that makes some people completely oblivious to what is happening around them ?

oh don't, I'm flying tomorrow and it's giving me the rage just thinking about it!! I do think that since lockdown people have become increasing self centred and less aware of others around them.

Is there something about airports that makes some people completely oblivious to what is happening around them ?

Welcome to the world I used often work in....I don't know if was stress or just lack of familiarity but it did sometimes appear that way..

I take around fifty flights each year so that’s in the region of 100 airport experiences if we count them at either side of the flight… Every single time there’s multiple CFs someone who makes you wish you could teletransport yourself to the destination instead.

So many people give me the rage. Especially

1. those who haven’t bothered to read up on some basic stuff before getting there (no, you cannot take a 300 ml bottle of hairspray and your gardening tools through security and no, you didn’t do this last year either ‘with a decent airline’ - as if airlines had something to do with security!?).

2. frequent male business travellers who think that you, as a woman, are there in the same capacity as a member of staff so you should dispose of their trays, hold doors open for them, and generally just let them walk / buy / queue first without them having to lift a finger in the process. Just because they’re men.

The amount of men who leave their empty trays lying there because they’re too important to lift one. Even when you tell them to put it back because they’re blocking everyone else behind them they simply look at you and walk off.

I hold loyalty cards with various alliances so get priority check in, boarding etc, and dress very casually on flights (primark leggings and cardigan). I’m often reminded by one of these gentlemen that ‘this is the queue for priority boarding, you must queue on the other side’.

I guess lots of people are disorientated, jet lagged, and/or have been on a long haul flight and haven’t slept?

The vast majority of these travellers won’t be found at security checks (you usually connect straight through the terminal bar the US, Japan and a few more) and I’m sorry, but even when you’re jet lagged or tired you should still be able to follow some basic instructions from the staff.

I think in reality a lot of people just aren’t used to being told what to do by someone else. They struggle to obey simple orders.

I think in reality a lot of people just aren’t used to being told what to do by someone else. They struggle to obey simple orders.

....in English.

TBF to some travellers there's a widespread assumption by staff at some UK airports that everybody speaks/reads English and will respond immediately to any instructions if the volume is turned up.

I used to think that attitude was particularly unfortunate when it was in evidence at the UK airport that had the highest number of international transit passengers (TBF the staff in turn were often under pressure from their superiors to keep things moving at places like security).

The way some more elderly passengers got treated and talked to at times was frankly quite distressing.

Omg I'm so with you OP

it's like people have arrived from THE MOON when faced with airport security
It's not a new thing you morons, take your liquids out, in a plastic bag, put your laptop in a separate tray, remove your belt etc

I am always angry AF until I get to the bar in departures 😂

TBF some people only confront airport security once a year, tops, and looking at other threads here you can see some get seriously anxious about getting "it" wrong.

Especially at this time of year you've maybe got parents travelling with babies for the first time, still utterly non-plussed about what's a gel, what isn't, what is going to be permissible by way of baby food etc etc etc...then you do get the national and airport differences....

I do know however if you submit to the whole airport process umpteen times a year it seems like a doddle and it's really hard to understand how others can't understand. You end up longing for the return of off season where the majority of folks in the queue are suitably airport hardened...........

He ignored the signs and tried to walk through still carrying his bag. Was most affronted when stopped and told to put his belongings into the container to go through the Xray. Had to be told 3 times to take his shoes off.

Idiots like that should have their passports confiscated. So often, I've been held up behind such people - probably never flown before ...

hmm, I only partly agree with that @notimagain when people have been standing in the security queue for 10-15minutes being bombarded with multi-lingual signs and a video asking you to remove your coat and laptop etc from your bag and they are still wearing their **ing coat when they get to the front of the queue they deserve to be taken out by snipers! 😬 yes, i appreciate there are a small number of people with disabilities that prevent them from doing such thing but this clearly doesn't apply to 90% of the queue!

I hold loyalty cards with various alliances so get priority check in, boarding etc, and dress very casually on flights (primark leggings and cardigan). I’m often reminded by one of these gentlemen that ‘this is the queue for priority boarding, you must queue on the other side’.

OH good Lord the tray thing annoys me too @GrandSlamFinalee ! (I've been flying a lot lately ...) Also the people who simply repack their bags on the roller thingy, instead of taking their stuff and moving away quickly. Then leave the trays.

But I had a lovely schadenfreude moment the other day (and it was with United, who are the mass-market US airline, but needs must). I had priority access so was boarding early & walked through the queue of later boarders - a man was at the head of that non-priority queue and tried to follow me, and was told very firmly that he had to wait.

But after flying criss-cross across the US last week, I am so done with the US habit of huuuuuge carry-ons. They take so long to board, and those that can't get them into the overhead lockers properly hold up the boarding process for the whole plane. I swear they're calling flights earlier because people are playing Jenga with roll-ons. Drives me crazy.

Exactly, it’s when people repeatedly ignore instructions (in multiple languages) that I start feeling annoyed. I genuinely believe many think the rules simply don’t apply to them. If you’ve been told to take your belt and coat off, just do it.

I don’t get upset at people flying for the first time or with small babies etc. In fact, they’re usually the most prepared. I often give a hand to a solo parent with several young kids, or elderly travellers who perhaps don’t understand the local language. There’s a difference between needing extra assistance and thinking the world revolves around you and rules don’t apply to you. Or simply not bothering to check those rules beforehand. They’re even mentioned at check in!

TBF some people only confront airport security once a year, tops, and looking at other threads here you can see some get seriously anxious about getting "it" wrong.

But it's really not rocket science, @notimagain What is difficult about removng all gels, pastes and liquids from your carry on luggage, and removing belts, shoes, coats, scarves, and pocket contents?

It's tedious, but it's not difficult.

I travel frequently. I'm disabled. I can't lift a full tray. I can't lift an empty tray. I need to sit to put my shoes on and off.

I tell the security people when I take my shoes off and ask them to pass me a tray. I have all my stuff ready to go into the tray.

But when the tray comes out the other end there's never anyone there to help me. To lift the tray away to a bench and get me a seat so I can gather myself and put my shoes on.

And then I have other passengers pushing past me and tutting and huffing at me.

Manchester is the worst for this

Yes, that’s the type of man I’m referring to! @GoodThinkingMax

I’ve recently done a few US flights as well and I agree about the carry ons. People get bitchy with Ryanair but their model is perfect - only X number of suitcases allowed on board. Then you know boarding can be done in YZ amount of minutes.

Flag carriers around Europe usually take surplus items off you before you even board… I can only imagine the riots if that became common practice in US airports.

@notimagain I'm sorry but it's not difficult unless you've been in a coma for 20+ years

Travelling with children or whatever, shouldn't remove your brain cells and you should be able to follow the simple rules that have been in place for years

I fly a lot now but even when I flew infrequently I didn't all of a sudden become an idiot as I entered the airport

I guess/accept it depends on the airport .. I agree with your thoughts on the situation you describe.

Like you I never ceased to be amazed at how some folks seemed utterly unaware of bags/coast/belts until the critical moment...and then when asked you'd often them asking if "that means me"?

OTOH some very major UK airports, certainly some Terminals that you think should do better, certainly don't do videos or the multi-lingual signs yet cater for perhaps millions of none native passengers every year.

@TomAllenWife

I'm sorry but it's not difficult unless you've been in a coma for 20+ years
Travelling with children or whatever, shouldn't remove your brain cells and you should be able to follow the simple rules that have been in place for years
I fly a lot now but even when I flew infrequently I didn't all of a sudden become an idiot as I entered the airport

I'm sure you didn't.

The reality as seen by somebody who used to go security probably well over 100 times a year over a period of several decades is that for some reason some passengers (it's a small percentage) really do struggle with the whole airport experience, panic about it, worry about what rules have changed, you name it they worry about it.

You even get threads on MN asking about the subject...

You, I, and I know other posters find the whole thing trivial but I can assure you quite a lot of people don't.....

A friend of mine is PA to a senior director. He had an early flight one day so 5am airport arrival. He gets there and there is a last minute change of plan. He is literally standing at the sales desk with his passport and credit card, yet he rings my friend at 5.30am to ask her to phone the very person sat behind the desk not 1m from him because he apparently can't manage the ticket change!

Absolutely, exactly what DH thought too.
And dont get me started on he amount of people who dont have their boarding passes and passports ready at the gate . In fact I have to say that mums travelling with kids are generally the most organized.

I used to work in an airport and people just give me the rage. Not having any awareness of the bag they are wheeling behind them and taking out multiple people when going round a bend. Just stopping in the middle of a heavy footfall route. Best was the ones so absorbed in their phones they’d walk through the one way doors leaving their toddlers stuck on the other side. I’ve had to carry so many frantic toddlers through.

I don't think it's just airports. I have found the same thing in supermarkets, cinemas and a million other places. It's like lockdown made some people forget how to share the space with other people.

Exactly @emmathedilemma .
And this fool was speaking english as a native speaker.
I have absolutely no problem waiting behind people who have a reason , children, elderly, disabled people ect or those who are trying their best but have got a bit flustered. It's the " rules dont apply to me " lot that give me the rage.

This thread has prompted me to splash out on fast security for tomorrow in the hope of minimising the number of such people i have to encounter......deep breaths....... 😂

It's not just airports - it's all public transport systems. Travel up an escalator and stop dead at the top (or bottom if going down) and then create a domino effect of people with no where to go.

Walk through corridors on Tube to platforms and stay there - meaning others can't pass down the platfom.

Get off a tube train and literally stand in front of the door - thus preventing others from getting off.

Reach exit barriers, delve into bags, pockets for contactless / Oyster card, again causing a backlog.