Did you know airline employees call people who line up early 'gate lice'. Interesting psychological aspects to it that are relevant to our current political/societal situation. The bolded line below could easily describe the rise of Trump/MAGA/QAnon. Normalizing crazy. Psychology experts pointed to two potential explanations for why passengers get in line early: conformity and competition. “People use other people as sources of information both about what the right thing to do is and about what everyone else is doing,” said Shira Gabriel, a psychology professor at the University at Buffalo. Both of those things are happening at an airport when travelers get in line early. The first person who stands up gives others information about how they can and should behave, which leads more people to stand up and join them, thus convincing more to join in a constant information feedback loop. “People will do any weird thing if they think that’s the way to behave,” Gabriel explained. “When you see people lining up, getting ready, it makes you feel there’s a benefit for that.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/travel/2023/12/13/gate-lice-plane-boarding-line/
I get up when they call my zone. Would rather sit at terminal then on plane. The only reason to rush is if they're threatening to gate check bags and you have a connecting flight. Nonetheless, inevitably someone will be jockying to get in front of me as we shuffle forward. I just smile and gesture them ahead and mention that we're all getting there at the same time. Gate lice is funny. American individualism displayed like lemmings.
I think if airlines enforced their carry on policy more diligently, then this behavior would decrease. They let people in the front carry two big carry ons and the people at the back need to check in even their backpacks because they’ve squeezed out the leg space too.
I do because it seems like you can get some standing in before you have to sit for a long time. Also on some airlines, you actually do have to compete for overhead bin space lol.
my in laws would get in line the day before if they could. When they visit they spend at least the entire day before getting ready, calling the airlines, having me print out boarding passes, etc. Then they get to the airport 4 hours prior to their flight. If that's what it takes to prevent a nervous breakdown so be it. &, OMG, if I set out to the airport with less than 3/4 of tank of gas, my FIL freaks out.
Sometimes there is an underlying rationality to the irrational. E.g. in 2020, I noticed that in response to COVID many people started hoarding toilet paper. In my infinite rational wisdom, I did no such thing, because I knew that respiratory diseases bore little relation to pooping. And what did this rationality get me? It got me and my family wiping our butts with paper towels, because it didn’t damn matter if COVID caused extra pooping.
My goal is always to be the literal last passenger on the plane. I know I always disappoint the person next to me who thinks the seat is empty, which is an added bonus.
Especially if large and have a lot of noisy and smelly snacks and want to engage in hours of small talk with a complete stranger who is sleep deprived.
I like to go into a crowd look up and point. Pretty soon lots of other people are doing it too. The toughest crowd are the elevator riders. I can’t get anyone to speak. Lol
I line up earlier than I should for the following reasons: 1. I'm OCD (and gringo) and prefer to be unreasonably ahead of schedule to mitigate anxiety. 2. Usually have the window seat and don't want the person next to me to have to get up to let me in, especially because I'm big. 3. Don't like waiting behind people wrestling with their bags, kids, and/or emotional support animal of the month. 4. Do not trust that someone isn't going to bogart my overhead spot, and I'm not willing to check my CPAP machine or laptop. 5. Particularly if I've upgraded to first class, I want to get my adult beverage asap. 6. I enjoy "brushing up" on various languages by reviewing the translations on the discomfort bag and emergency literature. 7. Allows me to people watch onboarding passengers to get a better visual of hot women and potential trouble-makers.
I usually fly SW because they dominate my airport (not because I like them). I usually wait until the last moment to get in line, so if I'm like A55, I'm usually not in line until right before they call A31-A60 to board. My wife always gets in line sooner than I do.
