To Not understand why people get so selfish at the airport?

[virilityisbad]

I just don’t get why brits on their family
holidays get so stressy. I walk through the airport seeing them flapping about and highly strung. People are hugely territorial of their personal space. The sheer hostility towards fellow human beings in the queue for boarding.

Then on the plane, people up and down, up and down checking/fetching stuff from their baggage in the overhead lockers.

Then when landed, people in the middle
of the plane deciding they deserve to disembark first and so blocking the aisle for everyone else to get their bags.

What is it about airports that make people so selfish/stressed out

Oh God yes, YANBU. Though agree with pps that it seems to not be limited to Brits.

We flew on a TUI flight to a Mediterranean holiday destination a couple of days ago. Early flight from local airport and all on time. No major aggro from other passengers but so much fuss! People getting tetchy, stressed and selfish even though there was no need to. Also, this wasn’t people with kids - there were only three children on the whole flight (we had one of them) and we and the other parents were fine.

I understand that people find flying stressful. I completely agree with Ginger though - being stressed doesn’t give you the right to act like an arse. You’re going on holiday, not the Somme - get some perspective.

Dd was 9 at the time by the way so not a toddler and perfectly able to stand beside me in a normal queue. She found the whole thing really stressful.

@WimbledonWindow Paris CDG? Always drives me potty you need passport and boarding pass to buy a drink of water!

I think that other nationalities are just as stressed out- that's racist to say its British people. Also don't forget that many British people haven't been born in the UK and bring their cultures with them. Airports are stressful places. People generally seem not to have any manners these days.

I think it is fine and British people are nit particularly bad. I avoid flying in August though

I'm a wheelchair user and travel a lot. Flying for me can be super stressful but worth it once I get to various tournament locations the other end.

Firstly I travel with my manual wheelchair that I use full time, tennis wheelchair, rackets and luggage. I often have at least 3 items to check in.

I always book airport assistance which helps a lot. Due to the amount and type of luggage I have I am often fast tracked to check in, my rackets and suitcase are taken. I've been sworn at so many times by passengers despite being accompanied by airport staff.

I then have to take my tennis chair to oversized luggage and get that checked in.

I have priority through security where I am left to sort myself out. Trying to ensure that I don't forget to put everything into a tray, I then go through security, have my wheelchair drugs swabbed (every single time).

I carry a lot of medication and medical equipment and I then have to explain to security why I have various syringes and liquids in my hand luggage, including a tiny pair of scissors so I can open some of the medical equipment. Unfortunately in the past security have opened sterile packets so I've had to label everything indicating the contents and asking them not to open anything.

Once through security I usually have less than an hour before having to go to the assistance desk. They take me to the gate and we then have to wait for an ambulift. Once at the door of the plane I transfer into a tiny chair and 2 members of staff drag me onto the plane to my seat. This is often done in front of a full plane. There is no dignity to it at all.

My wheelchair is put into the hold.

On arrival I have to wait for the plane to be empty before I'm transferred to the tiny chair again and hope that either of my wheelchairs aren't damaged, and that my day chair is waiting for me by the plane door.

I them have a member of airport staff (often someone who speaks very broken English) help me to the carousel and I have to explain how many bags I have along with them having to locate my tennis chair. They help me through passport control to arrivals where my driver should be waiting for me.

I find in Edinburgh airport that they seem to deliberately ramp up the stress going through security by shouting instructions at people and generally making it feel stressful - can cope myself but it just about finished off my elderly parents when they last traveled. I think it's meant to make the queue go faster but it seems very unnecessary.

The worst example of selfish behaviour I encountered was at Manchester airport. It was about 11 years ago and DS was a toddler, I was keen to get checked in as DS needed feeding and a nappy change. Couple in their 60s plonked themselves in front of me in the long queue. I thought they had done it mistakenly and pointed out politely that they had joined at the wrong place and that the end of the queue was over there. The man then started shouting at me and telling me we'd all get on the plane at the same time - thankfully DH was getting rid of the hire car at that time or it might have escalated- mind you he probably wouldn't have shouted or pushed in if there was a man around.

One of the best moments of my life was when the flight announced early boarding for young families. I gave him a beaming smile as we walked past them - because clearly they were practically sitting on the boarding gate - idiots.

There was a story on "Notalwaysright" where an air attendant gave a person's personal (and labelled) wheelchair to another woman, as they couldn't find an airport one. I believe it took them quite a while to get it back. (Don't mean to scare you)

Gatwicks family security is great. A lot calmer than normal security queues (and they stop children wandering off in rAndom directions

I get really stressed. I'm always super early for fear of missing the flight. I can't relax until I'm on the plane.

I also hate being on a plane, trapped in a metal box, and all the other people stress me out. Horrible place. I'd be on Harry and Meghan's private's jet in a heartbeat (except environment etc and £££)

I don't faff with the lockers though.

I find people's behaviour at airports amusing to watch. Me and my DH get to the airport in good time, check in case, and only carry on small bags which are stashed under seats in front. People carry so much stuff. I am not talking about families with kids, where it's understandable, but adults. And they get territorial. I zone out. Get a coffee, put headphones on, keep an eye on the departure board, stroll to the gate. Job done. Might have to queue a bit but does not bother me.

The only think that does bother me is if somebody with rank feet takes their shoes off.

Nervous passengers and alcohol at silly o’clock in the morning with some passengers I expect is the cause.

Norwich airport sounds like bliss, Gatwick is closest to us, absolutely rammed most of the time.

Ryanair do board on both the front and back of the plane.

I'm done with flying, barring real emergencies involving family. It is crap and it is bad for the environment as Greta Thunberg has been pointing out. It just isn't worth it for us. We'll take the train to Europe next year, if that is still a viable option. Flying used to be fun, but with the security (necessary I know), crowded airports, and tiny seats on new planes, it is now horrible.

Reading those posts, you wonder why on earth people are ever flying to go away on holidays tbh.....

The rushing around is pathetic!! people have to get connecting buses, planes and trains, or meet people- they can't always wait around. ( not justifying pushing!!)

We've lived abroad in 3 different continents and have done a fair bit of travelling. EVERYONE is an asshole at the airport and on aeroplanes... but... it's unfamiliar and people get stressed and anxious. People get flustered and behave oddly on even very short flights.

I find it odd on my local parenting group when people ask "I'm flying to Spain, what should I take on the plane to entertain the kids"... same things as they have in the car for a 2 hour car journey?!?! But again, it's unfamiliar and everyone is a bit excited.

Alcohol. I usually fly at 7.30am, and when I'm in the airport at 5am there are already people in the pub getting tanked up for their holiday.

If you have to start drinking at 5am at airport prices, you aren't going to be a calm and collected traveller.

Not just airports. Try “queuing” for a bus in London 😁

@sueellekerive heard stories like that before. I fly 4 or 5 times a year. Flying to my first international tournament, the airline left my tennis chair in Birmingham. Thankfully they got it on the next flight and had it brought to my hotel.

Ive got friends whose chairs have been damaged to the point of them being unusable. It's not good when your wheelchair is your legs and you absolutely can't be without it.

I fly reasonably regularly between two European countries. My flight arrives in time for me to make the last connection by public transport. So if flying Easyjet I need to be near the front of the queue to make sure I can keep my cabin bag with me instead of having it stashed in the hold. Twenty minutes at the carousel makes the difference between me catching my late collection and having to pay 60 euros for a taxi.

I don't push and shove, but I do hurry ahead of people moving more slowly than me.

I've flown with my two children since they were 6 weeks old and travel regularly. Often just me and the two of them. Even with young babies I never had to keep going to the overhead. I used to have a piece of hand luggage but before boarding, I would transfer what I needed for the flight into a small carrier back that I could put under the seat in front. I.e bottles, nappies, wipes, books, small toys. This was for a 5-hour flight. I don't find flying with young children or babies a problem at all as long as you are organised.

Totally agree that people seem desperate to get on the flight even though they have seats booked. Then they can't wait to get off. When the plane lands, unless I'm getting a connecting flight, I'll happily sit and disembark when it's nearly empty. I then usually arrive just in time for the first bit of luggage to come through on the carousel.

Do you travel alone op? I’m thinking perhaps it’s less stress if you do. I charge on the plane to make sure there’s somewhere to put my luggage nearby. Plus if you don’t make a run for it you end up stuck behind the dozy cunts who hold everyone up as they put their luggage away. This problem could be solved if all planes filled up back to front. Then I rush to get up so I don’t get held up again behind these dozy lot again. Don’t forget some of these people will have a connecting flight also. As for getting up & down, that’s me too, I’m not risking DVT.

I think a lot of issues would be solved if airports stopped serving alcohol. Groups of people piling out of Wetherspoons when they're flight is announced at 7am. Grim.

*their!