Bad behaviour in airports - would you say something

[smit0847]

I was at HBA airport yesterday heading for security. Was in a slight hurry because despite being the only person in the VA priority check-in line I had to wait quite some time because of some once-a-year fliers at the check-in desks trying to check-in excess baggage but refusing the pay for it.

Anyway, walking to security I saw a young family in front of me moving very slowly (the toddler daughter was for some reason dragging a full-size pillow along the ground that was bigger than she was). Mother was pushing a pram heaped high with cr*p and the father stopped to yell at the daughter to hurry up. The parents waited for the daughter to catch up (she was a good 20 metres behind them) as we walked past the daughter. Predicting the delay they would cause if I was behind them going through security I briskly walked past them as they waited for their daughter and was a good 10 metres in front of them before I got to security.

For those unfamiliar with HBA security, you have to walk past security then do a u-turn around a barrier back towards security. As I did the u-turn around the barrier I noticed the parents lift up the start of the barrier, and push the pram and themselves under the barrier and in front of the people walking the correct way around the barrier (me and several others), then block our access to the metal detector with the pram and then ask the security 'so what do we need to take out'? (of the pram).

Myself and the others who were in front of them until they pushed in under the barrier were visibly stunned. We all had either no baggage at all with us, or one simple roll-away. The Mother started dumping things out of the pram onto the conveyor-belt, naturally the child wandered off, the Mother started arguing about what needed to be taken out of the pram before it could go through the metal detector.

And the rest of us waited.

The first bag she put through was returned as it had an aerosol in it to which she started going 'oh god, I can't believe I put that in there - where am I going to put it' etc. The child started screaming because she didn't want to go through the metal detector so had to be slowly coaxed through by her parents.

And the rest of us waited.

The guy in front of me in the line started talking to me about how slow they were being and how quick the rest of us would have been (in the absence of items like prams and toddlers). I responded in a not at all quiet or subtle voice about how rude it was that they had pushed in when they were obviously going to be slower than everyone else. When they did get their pram and daughter through they were in no hurry to pick up the 6 trays of their cr*p they had put through meaning our trays we swiftly put through started piling up on top of each other and a bottle of wine I had bought very nearly slipped out and onto the floor.

I don't go out of my way to criticise complete strangers but came very, very close to telling them why they shouldn't have done what they did.

Has anyone been in similar situations where you have been so stunned by a complete strangers behaviour you've made a point to tell them off for it?

 

[mannej]

It may come across as bad behaviour to those who have traveled before, but to me it seems you have described people who haven't traveled in a long time, and the behaviour isn't down to rudeness, but a lack of knowledge of the whole process.

Yes there is benefit of the doubt being applied here

 

[Homer]

I usually speak up unless I'm with somebody who might be embarrassed. For example, I've had somebody try to join a queue at some point near the middle, where I was standing, and I said in a fairly loud voice "No buddy...you join the queue back there" while gesturing behind me, and he complied. I'm a bit surprised in your case that the HBA security people didn't call them on the queue jumping.

 

[Hvr]

Yes I would've spoken up whilst walking past them. And then been through security and in the lounge before they've even started entering the walk through metal detector.

I would also expect the security personnel to tell them to wait their turn.

 

[simongr]

It may come across as bad behaviour to those who have traveled before, but to me it seems you have described people who haven't traveled in a long time, and the behaviour isn't down to rudeness, but a lack of knowledge of the whole process.

Yes there is benefit of the doubt being applied here

Hmm - exactly when is it ok to lift a barrier and jump a queue? I can understand being slow due ot lack of familiarity but queue jumping like that is just plan wrong and ignorant.

 

[Maca44]

Try doing that in the US, and you would soon get a mouth full (a loud mouth full too )

 

[mannej]

Hmm - exactly when is it ok to lift a barrier and jump a queue? I can understand being slow due ot lack of familiarity but queue jumping like that is just plan wrong and ignorant.

I don't disagree with you at all, but it does seem as the family was ignorant with the process as it may well have been a new environment and they were flustered.
Sometimes people do tend to forget this, hence I don't think a sarcastic queue jumper comment would have necessarily gone down too well.

 

[simongr]

I agree sacrasm probably wouldn't be warranted but a simple (and blunt) "Excuse me - do you not see the queue" might have been appropriate.

 

[SeatBackForward]

Based on the OP's recollection, this wasn't simply not realising they skipped the line, but deliberately moving under a barrier. you don't have to be a frequent flyer to know what queuing barriers are for.

 

[docjames]

Whilst i'm sure i would have been moderately irritated at the time, i'd (eventually) strike that one up to the joys of travel. And also that many people in the world are blind to considering others before themselves.

And agree, if you were going to say something, the time was when they "jumped" the barriers such as as simongr suggests.

 

[under the radar]

if you 'jump/move' a barrier to EFFECTIVELY PUSH IN FRONT OF THOSE ALREADY IN THE QUEUE...THAT'S A NO GO FOR ME!! I WOULD SAY SOMETHING TO THEM... silent witnesses become vocal/supportive after someone points out the 'wrong doing' first... and over the years ive gone from a 'silent majority' to a 'vocal minority' because my tolerance for the ME ME ME GENERATION has diminished!! :shock:

 

[harvyk]

Based on the OP's recollection, this wasn't simply not realising they skipped the line, but deliberately moving under a barrier. you don't have to be a frequent flyer to know what queuing barriers are for.

I've frequently stepped over or under queuing barriers when there has been no one else around. I personally don't see the point of walking an extra 50 meters when all I need to do is step over the barrier. That said I would never do it if it meant I'd be skipping past people doing the walk.

By the sounds of it they where simply inexperienced flyers. Not sure what is what and with a screaming kid around trust me, the concerns of others come second to getting the kid to shut up and start behaving.

Am I saying they should get a free pass? No, they should have not skipped the queue, and as someone who has had experience standing in line with kids at airports, yes it is unpleasant but very doable.

I don't know if I would have made comment, as I do know what they where most likely going through.

 

[smit0847]

Based on the OP's recollection, this wasn't simply not realising they skipped the line, but deliberately moving under a barrier. you don't have to be a frequent flyer to know what queuing barriers are for.

Correct. They could clearly see that we were going around the barrier as they cut through it (they looked at us waiting behind them after they cut in after walking behind us towards security).

 

[Major]

Why bother. The aircraft isn't going without you. Let the parents have all the stress

 

[bigjobs]

I was at HBA airport yesterday heading for security. Was in a slight hurry because despite being the only person in the VA priority check-in line I had to wait quite some time because of some once-a-year fliers at the check-in desks trying to check-in excess baggage but refusing the pay for it.

Anyway, walking to security I saw a young family in front of me moving very slowly (the toddler daughter was for some reason dragging a full-size pillow along the ground that was bigger than she was). Mother was pushing a pram heaped high with cr*p and the father stopped to yell at the daughter to hurry up. The parents waited for the daughter to catch up (she was a good 20 metres behind them) as we walked past the daughter. Predicting the delay they would cause if I was behind them going through security I briskly walked past them as they waited for their daughter and was a good 10 metres in front of them before I got to security.

For those unfamiliar with HBA security, you have to walk past security then do a u-turn around a barrier back towards security. As I did the u-turn around the barrier I noticed the parents lift up the start of the barrier, and push the pram and themselves under the barrier and in front of the people walking the correct way around the barrier (me and several others), then block our access to the metal detector with the pram and then ask the security 'so what do we need to take out'? (of the pram).

Myself and the others who were in front of them until they pushed in under the barrier were visibly stunned. We all had either no baggage at all with us, or one simple roll-away. The Mother started dumping things out of the pram onto the conveyor-belt, naturally the child wandered off, the Mother started arguing about what needed to be taken out of the pram before it could go through the metal detector.

And the rest of us waited.

The first bag she put through was returned as it had an aerosol in it to which she started going 'oh god, I can't believe I put that in there - where am I going to put it' etc. The child started screaming because she didn't want to go through the metal detector so had to be slowly coaxed through by her parents.

And the rest of us waited.

The guy in front of me in the line started talking to me about how slow they were being and how quick the rest of us would have been (in the absence of items like prams and toddlers). I responded in a not at all quiet or subtle voice about how rude it was that they had pushed in when they were obviously going to be slower than everyone else. When they did get their pram and daughter through they were in no hurry to pick up the 6 trays of their cr*p they had put through meaning our trays we swiftly put through started piling up on top of each other and a bottle of wine I had bought very nearly slipped out and onto the floor.

I don't go out of my way to criticise complete strangers but came very, very close to telling them why they shouldn't have done what they did.

Has anyone been in similar situations where you have been so stunned by a complete strangers behaviour you've made a point to tell them off for it?

You need to watch a few episodes of Curb Your Enthusiasm and go all LD on them.

 

[Fruitcake]

The aircraft isn't going without you.

Any particular reason why it wouldn't, if you don't have checked baggage? And having said that I was quite impressed on a recent SQ flight ex-SYD, we pushed back only ten minutes later than scheduled despite an announcement that they were removing the checked bags of a no-show.

 

[Major]

Any particular reason why it wouldn't, if you don't have checked baggage? And having said that I was quite impressed on a recent SQ flight ex-SYD, we pushed back only ten minutes later than scheduled despite an announcement that they were removing the checked bags of a no-show.

Because the OP is already in the security queue and will be 1 or 2 minutes longer than normal. A PITA but not something to stress over

 

[fersea]

Annoying yes, but at the end if the day what did it really cost you?

If that was the worst thing to happen to you that day it couldn't have been too bad a day.

 

[fersea]

I also think this forum needs to get over the general lack of disrespect for occasional fliers. They actually arent second class citizens.

Having said that in this case it sounds like the deliberately flouted the queuing etiquette.

 

[fersea]

Sorry I meant lack of respect, there no lack of disrespect!!