FlyingB1975

Just had the pleasure of boarding a FRA-LHR flight. As you would expect for a Friday evening it is packed with the suit wearing folk proudly showing off their shiny silver tags. Boarding the bus was a complete shambles with the ground staff struggling to get 3 infants and their parents on the bus first. Followed by said silvers blocking the "good spots" on the bus, preventing others from getting on.

What is it that turns people who (I hope) are usually nice into psychopaths who have no regard for fellow human beings?

Now, be all nice to each other!

lorcancoyle

BA being cheapskates and trying to cram as many people onto a single bus as they can?

For E170 bussing at LCY (on return, obviously!) you get two busses.

I'm only half joking of course, but I do get somewhat aggravated that a CE ticket and priority boarding means you can choose between priority on a crowded bus and a lengthy queue on aircraft steps of trying to jam yourself onto a bus at the last minute and a slightly shorter queue on aforementioned steps...

Fitch

Sounds like good old Germam Wartschlangendisziplin

henkybaby

My entire self-worth is based on how fast I get to my seat. I take no prisoners in the process.

How dare the plebs think they can board before me !

lorcancoyle

I thought it was also based on the number of people who see you getting this treatment - a bit like Schrödinger's cat, if nobody sees you get priority boarding, did you get priority boarding...

henkybaby

That's more the tree in the forest thing...

But when I am on a bus I am sort of in WT, WTP, CW and F at the same time and only opening the bus will reveal my true state.

Or something.

13901

Indeed. I don't know why, but I noticed how some travellers, once they step through the doors of an airport terminal, either a) appear to remove their brains, thus becoming an even more asinine version of the zombies in 'The walking dead' or b) become utter, complete, absolute pricks.

I have loads of examples to think of and it seems to me that on every flight I happen to board I witness more and more pricks at work, up to the point that I no longer judge a flight by the service but by the amount of idiocy I have witnessed.

June's cookie went to the twat, I have no other way of defining him, who was pushing past other people as he tried to gain the exit from row 23 on a packed AZ A321 in Rome, because he had a connection. After a lady politely pointed out that the doors weren't open yet and that everyone was on a connection he replied "You're lucky there's other people around" (only to be swiftly introduced to the lady's hubby, a rather bulky American fella).

July's cookie went to the guy who threw a tantrum because the captain didn't apologise for the fact that the earlier MXP-LHR flight had been cancelled (was it the skipper's fault?) and that because, since we were due to arrive late, the e-gates would've been closed. He kept reiterating these two things, mantra-like, for the entire duration of the flight.

Seriously?

Blenz101

equally, getting so worked up about other peoples behaviour with a rant containing such impolite language (even with cookies) makes you sound a little unhinged yourself.

Not a personal attack on you - but you may wish to consider when committing something to writing how with no ability to detect your tone how it will be interpreted by others.

crazy8534

I was thinking exactly this the other day, and my observation was that on a 35min FR flight the sense of camaraderie with fellow passengers, basic human decency, and politeness was far greater than any of my recent experiences on BA. My knees won't thank me for saying that, mind. In fact if I think about it my own attitude on the FR flight was much more relaxed than usual.

Honestly I find the BA gate experience to be a cesspit of Dickensian upmanship. I wish I could time my arrival on planes as well as those who have perfected the art of being last on without missing the flight. The other day at JFK I witnessed an older couple being forced to do the 'walk of shame' at boarding and the smirks and guffaws from others in the queue were simply horrible.

I wonder if somehow the benefits of status on BA and other legacy airlines (priority boarding, lounge access etc.) actually encourage the kind of snobbish behaviour that is so loathsome.

HIDDY

So you're saying they boarded the bus before you and bagged a good space?
It happens every day on public transport all over the world, so what's new?

Hayden

^

13901

I don't get worked up about many things - queues at South security, gate lice, phone calls at 19.00 on a Friday - but I feel my blood pressure rise when I witness prejudice, lack of respect, education and generally kindness to fellow human beings. That does get me worked up quite a lot indeed.

As for using foul language, well, I struggle to describe a man physically threatening a woman anything than a prick, or a cretin. And the same applies for another man who finds nothing better to do than to complain for his G&T (or lack thereof) whilst the cabin crew are on their hands and knees sticking the defibrillator pads onto a dying man's chest.

And finally, if you want to call me unhinged, mentally disturbed or what have you please have the courage to do so. I'm most definitely not the kind of person that goes reporting such comments to the moderators.

Gomac

Airports are hives for idiots! You just have to take that in your stride.

Hoch

I've seen my fair share I'll-mannered people in my time when it comes to boarding. Normally, I just let it pass because it is often not worth the energy to challenge or correct someone. The only time I made an exception to this was last year on a flight out of HEL going back to LHR.

There was this woman, by herself and with a baby in a sling who didn't look much older than two months. When it came time to board, bused to the plane the typical scrum began. I saw a least four people push her of the way. When I saw a fifth about to do it, I just stepped in, cut the bloke off and said very loudly, "Mind the baby!" Cue the typical response of bemusement and quite frankly not giving a damn. But at least after that she was able to walk to the bus without being knocked around. It was very obvious that she was carrying a baby but people just didn't care

H

LTN Phobia

I have found the same about FR passengers, although I was only a bystander and not a passenger. I was waiting to board a BA flight next to an FR gate on a number of occasions and saw that FR passengers seemed much kinder to each other, giving way to others etc.

I do think some people let their airline 'status' and 'class of travel' get to their head and it breeds poor and inconsiderate behaviour towards others.