Every single time I have had to spend time in an airport before a flight, I always look at it as a great way to study human behavior.
There are so many things that I see people do at airports when I am in them that I tend to wonder what makes people think that they are good ideas.
For example, one time I was traveling about six years ago and I got stuck on a layover that was long enough for me to sit down and have a relaxing meal at one of the sit down chain places that was in the terminal.
I’m sitting there, eating my burger and drinking my glass of beer, when I see a guy a couple of tables away from me being handed a steak.
He takes one bite into it, and then anxiously calls the waiter over. There’s a bit of a discussion between the two.
The water takes the steak back and they recook it. I then hear the guy get on the phone and tell someone, “Yeah, my flight leaves in about forty minutes”.
I don’t know about you folks, but I would say he’s cutting it a little close.
There’s a lot of things that people do at airports that just make no sense. Like how long before their flight that people will begin to join the line to board the airplane.
There are two groups of people, either the people who wait until the last minute and barely make it onto the plane or the folks that get in line before their group is called.
This second group tends to clog up the line and the boarding area. It has led to a term that many airport employees have begun using; gate lice.
Now, almost all of this behavior is psychological. It comes from a need that a lot of people have to be the first one to get somewhere.
However, everyone all showing up at the same time because they think they have the magic words that will allow the airline employees to let you on before everyone else.
Sorry, I don’t know how to say it, but they’re gonna let you on when you are supposed to be let on.
This kind of stuff slows down boarding and could lead to things like unintentional delays.
So the next time you are at the airport, just wait your turn. The plane is going to leave no matter whether you were first in line or last.