When Politeness Causes A Further Breakdown In Diplomatic Relations
May 8, 2018, 3:21 pm
#17
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 1,754
If I had been Male B, I think I might have been tempted to report him to the nearest police officer (if one can be found) for attempted assault. Nothing would come out of it other than a hopefully embarrassing and potentially worrying moment for the idiot.
May 8, 2018, 6:08 pm
#18
Join Date: May 2009
Location: LON
Programs: BAEC GGL; KLM Gold; AC 50K
Posts: 147
One of these days, A will act out against the wrong person, who will politely follow him out of the airport to a secluded spot to give him a right proper treatment. Karma. Too bad we won't be there to witness it 
May 8, 2018, 7:31 pm
#19
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Kyiv, Ukraine
Programs: Mucci, BA Gold, TK Elite, HHonors Lifetime Diamond
Posts: 7,691
I am surprised that it was the first time that you encountered such behavior. I often see it at LHR that people occupy the entire width of the escalator, corridor or jetty so that no one can get past them. People get very annoyed and angry when you ask them if they can let you pass through. It is as if they expected you to stay behind and adapt to their speed. I find such people very rude and selfish.
May 8, 2018, 7:35 pm
#20
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: Stockholm, Sweden.
Programs: BA, JAL
Posts: 689
Ok - I'll bite.
I respect everyone's need to get from A to B (no pun intended).
However, the manner and acceptability in which people do this does vary. I don't want to go into cultures, nationalities, ages, or anything like that to justify misunderstandings.. other than to say people frequently act out against one another unnecessarily. But I do think a bit of background comes into this. I remember being at a party once and person 1 walks into me, person 2 does, person 3 does and so on within the space of 10 seconds. Before person 1 had done it, no one had taken to this manouevre (circumstances did not change across the say 10 minutes when over 10 other people had passed without problem). Unfortunately person 4 had to deal with the consequences as by then I'd started getting annoyed and I'd started reacting to the pain in my hand. Long story short, past experiences affect future actions and approaches, and also if you've been in front and people knock past you then maybe next time, you won't want to allow that situation. Similarly on the tube.. I used to make as much space as possible - but you soon find that once you do, people consume as much as possible and care nothing for your comfort. Now, I just leave a certain amount and no more.
This isn't to justify the behaviour - if someone made a polite request then I would never decline someone decency. But I do think certain other factors may be involved beyond alpha, beta, gamma male..
Cue all the people telling me tosh.. fine!
I respect everyone's need to get from A to B (no pun intended).
However, the manner and acceptability in which people do this does vary. I don't want to go into cultures, nationalities, ages, or anything like that to justify misunderstandings.. other than to say people frequently act out against one another unnecessarily. But I do think a bit of background comes into this. I remember being at a party once and person 1 walks into me, person 2 does, person 3 does and so on within the space of 10 seconds. Before person 1 had done it, no one had taken to this manouevre (circumstances did not change across the say 10 minutes when over 10 other people had passed without problem). Unfortunately person 4 had to deal with the consequences as by then I'd started getting annoyed and I'd started reacting to the pain in my hand. Long story short, past experiences affect future actions and approaches, and also if you've been in front and people knock past you then maybe next time, you won't want to allow that situation. Similarly on the tube.. I used to make as much space as possible - but you soon find that once you do, people consume as much as possible and care nothing for your comfort. Now, I just leave a certain amount and no more.
This isn't to justify the behaviour - if someone made a polite request then I would never decline someone decency. But I do think certain other factors may be involved beyond alpha, beta, gamma male..
Cue all the people telling me tosh.. fine!
May 8, 2018, 8:40 pm
#21
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Over the North Atlantic
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 494
Misleading title! Politeness didn't caused the breakdown. Just imagine Male B was as impolite as Male A and decided to force-ably cross over Male A's luggage on his way to the front of the pack.. that could've triggered a mano a mano right there on the escalator. 
Politeness didn't caused the breakdown. Just imagine Male B was as impolite as Male A and decided to force-ably cross over Male A's luggage on his way to the front of the pack.. that could've triggered a mano a mano right there on the escalator.
May 8, 2018, 9:21 pm
#23
Join Date: May 2004
Posts: 2,660
Blocking an escalator is something that rather annoys me (as someone who always chooses to keep walking as opposed to standing around) and I've seen it often but usually assume it's the laziness of putting a roller bag down beside you instead of in front or behind (as I always do when taking a roller bag onto an escalator).
Historically I've always travelled with hand baggage that I carry in my hand (as opposed to roll along on the floor behind me) and one of my habits became that if I see someone in front of me with a rolling bag, I will choose another escalator (or even the stairs, if there's not another escalator) because I would almost assume that they'd roll-on and stop, as opposed to keep moving.
Passenger "A" sounds like a piece of work...
Historically I've always travelled with hand baggage that I carry in my hand (as opposed to roll along on the floor behind me) and one of my habits became that if I see someone in front of me with a rolling bag, I will choose another escalator (or even the stairs, if there's not another escalator) because I would almost assume that they'd roll-on and stop, as opposed to keep moving.
Passenger "A" sounds like a piece of work...
May 8, 2018, 10:06 pm
#24
Join Date: May 2003
Location: TLL
Programs: OZ Diamond, BA Gold, Bonvoy Ambassador, HH Gold
Posts: 4,412
I actually use the stairs whenever I can (I am a weird one who always checks luggage and only brings a backpack onboard) just because so many people feel the need to take the entire width of the escalator with their roller suitcases. It ends up being faster than the escalator most of the time.
May 9, 2018, 2:00 am
#25
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Balham - Gateway to The South
Programs: BA Bronze
Posts: 2,020
On escalators I think it is polite to stand on one side.
I have been victim to not knowing ‘sidewalk etiquette’ in NYC.
I was walking on a temporary pavement due to a hoarding being up. It was flooded on one side so I passed on the other side - cue an angry New Yorker who bellowed at me that I was walking on the wrong side and I quote ‘are you British or something ?’ His face was a picture when I replied why yes - thank you
Male A sounds like a version of this guy on steroids, probably fuelled by the fact male B was travelling in a lesser class.
I have been victim to not knowing ‘sidewalk etiquette’ in NYC.
I was walking on a temporary pavement due to a hoarding being up. It was flooded on one side so I passed on the other side - cue an angry New Yorker who bellowed at me that I was walking on the wrong side and I quote ‘are you British or something ?’ His face was a picture when I replied why yes - thank you
Male A sounds like a version of this guy on steroids, probably fuelled by the fact male B was travelling in a lesser class.
May 9, 2018, 3:01 am
#26
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Tampere
Programs: BA EC Gold, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 3,237
I am surprised that it was the first time that you encountered such behavior. I often see it at LHR that people occupy the entire width of the escalator, corridor or jetty so that no one can get past them. People get very annoyed and angry when you ask them if they can let you pass through. It is as if they expected you to stay behind and adapt to their speed. I find such people very rude and selfish.
I find that a firm 'One side or the other, please!' while still several steps away usually works.
May 9, 2018, 3:24 am
#27
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: CBG
Programs: BAEC Silver; M&M FT
Posts: 233
May 9, 2018, 4:24 am
#29
Join Date: Oct 2017
Posts: 18
In London, you stand on the right and walk on the left which is probably why they do it even when overseas but it causes no end of issues here, especially with Americans, they can't comprehend stand on the right and don't stop as soon as you step off the escalator and I would presume those Brits doing similar in Australia, they don't travel frequently enough and so are guilty of the same charge.