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 ?

TBH anybody who can find the magic solution to stop some people being disorganised at airport queues, queues at supermarket checkouts etc, and thereby increase footfall could probably end up being very rich.

Cabin crew have the patience of saints. the muppets I’ve overheard on planes - no idea how they put up with them all day.

They are great, they ensure the safety of all on board, even those who are daft enough to walk barefoot into the toilet during takeoff 🤢🤢

I think lots of men just don’t think they need to worry about rules and protocols, my dh is like this, does what is convenient for him, without thinking about the rest of the world. Mostly he gets on just fine. If he understands why something is important he does it, but doesn’t overly concern himself with finding out first. Drives me mad. Keeps picking up speeding fines for example, convinced it’s just because he drives a lot, not that he drives like a tit.

That said I’m always stopped at security because I always forget a nail vanish or hand cream in my hand luggage.

TBH anybody who can find the magic solution to stop some people being disorganised at airport queues, queues at supermarket checkouts etc, and thereby increase footfall could probably end up being very rich.

Well trained Border Collies? Especially the highly intelligent "eye dogs" of the breed.

In my experience,men do this everywhere,not just at airports! The number of times I've had a bloke stop dead at the end of an escalator,or in a shop doorway. Gives me the rage.

People who just STAND STILL on the moving walkways in airports give me the absolute rage.

The moving walkways are there to get people to the gate faster, not so you can have a little rest. You stand there oblivious, blocking the entire route for everyone else with your wheely suitcase and assorted children, while other people who might, you know, be a bit late for their flight, having stood in a security queue for 2 hours, have to stand and wait behind you.

I actually shouted at someone at Gatwick last week to keep walking - they looked utterly surprised when they turned round and saw the queue of irate passengers behind them. Doesn't it occur to them that others might be in a hurry?

I would be one of these passengers I havent been through an airport for 10 years and that was with a frequent traveller who knew the procedures. If I had to do it on my own Iwould be at a total loss

I don't entirely agree with this. They are also so that people who are a bit tired can stop walking. Not everyone wants to rush, do you should be a bit more tolerant of them. But they shouldn't be blocking the way for the walkers to get by. Rather like the escalators on the tube.

Even if someone had never flown before, and even if he didn't speak English or pay attention to the news since 9/11 - that is, for the last 21 years - and even if he had no friends or family to chat with about their travel experiences, surely just standing in the queue and noticing what everyone else else was doing with their belts and watches and laptops and shoes would give him a hint that there was a routine here that everyone was adhering to?

I think the problem is that some men think rules and procedures are for others, that they are above all that.

Lack of spatial awareness is prevalent everywhere.

My personal "favourite" of late is in between the sliding doors at the entrance/exit to my local shopping centre.

I hate the people who have to fuss with their cabin bags as soon as they get to their seat, standing in the aisle opening it up and getting all their bits and bobs out, while people are waiting to get past to find their own seats. Just wait!

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.

Oh god, I'm sorry to tell you that my husband is like this. I'm never sure whether he does it to be contrarian, or whether he is genuinely oblivious to what is going on around him. I'm always hyper-aware in these situations, but he's often in his own little world and I feel like I have to keep an eye on him like a bloody child.

If it's any consolation, it drives me mad too. We rarely get through an airport without me getting cross with him.

I have an issue with people struggling with self check in and there's about8 of them. Thereby holding everyone else up for 20 minutes before giving in and going a manned check in-If you don't know what you are doing and there's loads of you - can you just go to a manned check in !

I would be one of these passengers I havent been through an airport for 10 years and that was with a frequent traveller who knew the procedures. If I had to do it on my own Iwould be at a total loss

But I assume you're capable of reading signage, and following it @thereisonlyoneofme ? Or asking a security person for clear instructions, several minutes before you're actually at the security screening machines.

Given how long the security queues are at the moment, it's not as if there's no time.

Re the moving walkways @CointreauVersial - I always walk fast naturally & particularly if I"m trying to exercise away swollen ankles from an 11 hour flight, I stride out. I find a polite, but assertively loud "Excuse me" does the trick for people moving over to the right, so the left hand side of the walkway is clear for walkers. I've even had people say "Oh sorry" and move their whole family to one side of the walkway.

Oh yes, @GoodThinkingMax I was certainly loud and assertive. This was actually on the walkway INTO the airport, at 6am, when we were stressing about whether we'd find huge queues as per news reports, or not. I have no problem if people stand to the side, but it's the oblivious walkway-blocking that gets my goat.

This is me. I find the whole thing totally overwhelming, especially if it’s busy - having a small DC with buggy, food and tech equipment etc doesn’t help either.

@NoNoNoooo that doesn't bother me in the slightest, of course you are going to take longer in that situation. I get ragey at people who are just oblivious to the fact that the rules also apply to them. My Dd has informed me that it's also referred to as Main character Syndrome , where a person actually presumes that rules cant possibly apply to THEM.

This worked out well for me the other day. We were in the exit row and the man beside me point blank refused to put his bag in the overhead locker.

The crew moved him to another seat and I ended up with an empty seat beside me to put my bits and pieces on.

He genuinely didn’t believe the rules applied to him.

call that a win @ZZTopGuitarSolo ! You've reminded me of the time we were coming back from holiday and a man a couple of rows in front had a small child asleep across his lap and he was refusing to wake the child up so they could be properly seated for landed. It was nearly midnight and you could feel the rage from fellow passengers building because everyone just wanted to land and be on their way home. Thing is, there's no way he was going to get that child off the plane, onto a bus, through the airport and home without them waking up anyway!!

I know I'm being pretty U about this, but it does frustrate me when the plane lands, the seatbelt signs turn off and people leap to their feet, start wrestling their bags out of the overhead lockers and then stand there all cramped and knocking elbows into those of us still seated for 15 minutes while the staff get ready to open the doors.

It doesn't move things forward any faster, you don't get off the plane any quicker, and it makes the whole atmosphere so uncomfortable.

I watched an elderly lady get hit in the head recently with a carry-on and then she had to shrink into the corner of her seat because the woman next to her was flinging her bag about unnecessarily trying to get her coat on. It was another ten minutes before the doors opened.

Just stay seated until the row in front of you is on the move!

I'm educated to doctoral level and airports terrify and confuse me. So many rules. When I was travelling back from Canada I completely froze at the check-in machines and had to be helped through the process. I'm mildly physically disabled and find security a huge challenge. And I had no idea you had to keep walking onthe moving pavements,

Silvercatowner

Don't worry you don't have to walk on the moving travelator things, just tuck into one side. Whoever up thread said she can't stand people who just stand still on them is as insufferable as the other exhibits on the thread.

A moving walkway is definitely not just for walking. You can stand on the side @Silvercatowner. I think the PP was referring to those who park themselves and their whole family on it, plus luggage, horizontally, blocking the whole thing. Think of it as standing on an escalator - just keep to the side and it’ll be fine.

There’s a difference between people who aren’t used to an airport environment and might feel nervous and therefore go slower / need a bit of guidance, and those entitled cheeky fuckers passengers who simply don’t believe rules would ever apply to them. As long as you’re not in the latter group, you’ll be fine

Imho there is little point telling people to bag their liquids separately, take coats and belts off and put things in separate trays when they are crammed into snaking queues and you only get to take a tray once you get to the security point. The last time I flew everyone was preoccupied with wondering if they would get through to make their flights and it was heaving.

Add to that the fact that for a lot of people this will be the first year they've flown in 3 years and it's no surprise it's a bun fight.

When I flew in late May there was an obnoxious bloke who pushed through with me (we were allowed through to fast track as our flight was boarding) who then proceeded to shove in front of me in the conveyor queue. Totally uncalled for and he clearly thought he was more important than little old me.