Originally Posted by
irishguy28
That said, it often amazes me, when watching people board, when the stewards/stewardesses dotted around the cabin say a big friendly cheery "hello" to the passengers walking past, just how many of those passengers totally blank them, and give no sign of even registering the greeting, let alone returning it.
Yes, there are rude people who think themselves to be too important to return greetings; I don't think they'll be less rude if they have to stop for the BP check...
A passenger who is, or is inclined to be, belligerent is not going to be "softened" by some light, friendly banter on boarding - when they often turn it into an argument!
Even if they are not belligerent, they could be miffed. When the crew suspects them to try to sneak on a plane where they don't belong, it's not welcoming, it's offensive, same as border checks when entering a country, except they might have a reason to check, while upon entering the plane, they are just double checking what was checked 50 meters ago. One could cut the crew some slack because they're just following orders, or construe that as a way to help passengers to their seats, but some can express unhappiness by this rude behaviour (especially if they're first seeing it, like an US pax).