54 Travelers Who Expected Everyone Else On The Plane To Accommodate Their Nonsense

Generally speaking, traveling by plane is pretty straightforward. You arrive at the airport, check in if you haven’t done it online, drop off your bags, go through security, and find your gate.

Maybe you grab an overpriced coffee with an equally overpriced croissant and bottle of water. Or a glass of prosecco if you’re feeling fancy. Then you get on the plane and off you go.

If only it were always that simple. Somewhere along the way, you’re bound to meet someone holding up security because they’re convinced their 200 ml moisturizer will somehow make it through.

Then there’s the stranger who wants to chat for the entire flight. Or, God forbid, someone proudly displaying their bare feet.

Airports and planes seem to bring out a surprising amount of unhinged behavior. So why does it happen?

Well, flying can put people in a bad mood before they’ve even reached their gate. A report from the National Academies looked at what can contribute to disruptive behavior in airports and found plenty of potential triggers.

Long lines and confusing rules can add stress. So can delays, cancellations, or suddenly realizing your connection is looking very questionable.

Throw in an unfamiliar airport where you have no idea where anything is, and someone who was perfectly pleasant at breakfast might be considerably less pleasant an hour later.

Another big part of it is how little control you have once you start traveling. Researcher Milad Haghani from UNSW explains that flying comes with physical discomfort and a loss of control, which can leave people feeling on edge.

You can arrive ridiculously early and still have your flight delayed. Once you’re on board, you’re stuck in your seat until someone else says you can leave. When people are tired or stressed, something as small as a stranger reclining their seat can suddenly feel like a personal attack.

Airports are also just strange places to exist in. Psychology professor Steve Taylor describes them as liminal spaces where our normal sense of time and routine can become a little fuzzy. You’re technically between where you came from and where you’re going, probably thinking more about your destination than the terminal you’re sitting in.

For some people, vacation mode kicks in the second they clear security. For others, all that waiting and uncertainty makes them anxious. Either way, Taylor suggests that being removed from our usual routines can make people act differently than they normally would.

And then there’s alcohol. The National Academies notes that drinking can play a role in disruptive behavior at airports and on planes.

That probably doesn’t come as much of a surprise. Airports are one of the few places where ordering a beer at 9 a.m. somehow feels completely normal. But if someone is already tired or irritated, a few drinks can make it much easier for things to get out of hand.