WeekendTraveler

Today at the airport, there was nobody in the TSA Pre-Check line. For a moment, a person with a suitcase was walking in front of me up to the entrance to the “line”; they were there first so I let them go.

Then, although there was nobody in line, they walked as slow as humanly possible through the whole “line”, before arriving, at last, at the station where IDs and boarding passes are checked.

Similarly, I was in Group 2, and was the first to board, but right as I was walking up to scan my boarding pass, a person walked in front of me. Fine…but then they walked as slowly as humanly possible down a long, long jetway.

I assume it’s rude to walk by someone in these situations, if they’re really slow and there’s space to pass by?

If so, is it acceptable to say, “Mind if I walk by you?” and then go?

If someone is walking at a normal rate of speed, I wouldn’t look to walk in front, but it if they’re walking as slowly as humanly possible, while I know that I won’t arrive at my destination any earlier if I walk in front, slowpokes just drive me bananas.

mtofell

It's always a case-by-case basis. Mainly, can you get by without physically bumping them? For me, whether or not I ask to get by depends if/how late I am so walking down the jet bridge doesn't really matter if I get delayed a bit. Slow people should be boarding first so they aren't in the way. I still young-ish and easily keep up with traffic. When I'm old and slow I hope to be aware of those around me and get out of the way if I'm holding things up.

FlyingUnderTheRadar

The only time I will pass someone at the airport is when I can easily do so without interfering with them. That said, I have never been in a position/need to pass some one while embarking. Disembarking yes.

DELee

Say "Excuse me" and then pass them.

David

jrl767

as edited

Qwkynuf

Your "as slow as humanly possible" description makes it appear that you think that they are doing it to annoy you. Get over yourself. I doubt that they are even aware that you exist. If you want to go faster than someone in front of you, and you can do so without inconveniencing *them*, then say "excuse me" and walk on by.

They will probably catch up to you at the next choke point, just like the folks that weave between lanes in traffic - just to end up at the next light right next to you (again).

Badenoch

Brushing by someone to get one spot ahead to board a plane that isn't leaving until everyone is seated and belted in is simply being an impatient jerk. Calm down. The plane won't leave without you.

gaobest

A slower person ahead of me lets me slow down my own pace for boarding.

for tsa pre I know that we’ll catch up and separate into separate lines after ID check. Of course, it helps that I arrive early and am not rushed in the airport. That makes the trip overall easier and I rarely have connections.

bitterproffit

I have noticed that I am a slow walker. I am also a slow runner, but that's another story. I just don't walk very fast and I know that this annoys people so I usually stay on the right so that people in a rush can pass me on the jetway when we are disembarking. Sometimes people are in a rush to get to a connection, or to get to customs, or wherever they are going. I usually am not in a rush. I am usually on vacation and enjoying the luxury of time. I sometimes have a tight connection, and have had to walk fast through a terminal, but its rare.

I think if someone rushed past me to get ON the plane I would just chuckle. In an empty PreCheck line? I would find it a bit much, especially if they then are slow in the X-ray line getting rid of all their stuff. But hey, I am sure I do annoying things when I travel too. For some reason, people get really stressed out in airports, and you can feel the tension in the air, and it seems to affect people.

eqeqeqx

It's not being a jerk. People have their own individual tempo of walking, and just as I don't like to needlessly walk faster than normal, I also don't like to needlessly walk slower than normal. If someone is walking slow I see nothing rude in passing them. A while back I was on crutches after surgery, so I kept off to the side on the jetway. I found it interesting that at least some people seemed to feel it was bad form to pass me in that situation, but in the end I guess they too ran out of patience and passed me though.

WeekendTraveler

Both people were tapping away on their phones. Thus you're right that "they are[n't] even aware that [I] exist". I'm the inconsiderate, selfish one, even though I let them go in front of me (they just walked in front of me and didn't say anything, as they were focused ontheir phones) and I walked behind them, and didn't say anything and didn't walk in front, as they tapped away on their phones? They aren't inconsiderate?

Please see my last sentence. I am aware that this won't affect when I arrive.

Orange County Commuter

My experience is that when people ask questions like this, they know the answer they’re just hoping for a get out of jail card for behavior they know it was probably not appropriate

If you have to ask questions about whether something is polite as a general rule , that means it probably wasn’t.

WeekendTraveler

If it’s not polite, I won’t do it then.

I asked if it’s rude to walk up an aisle when deplaning, past people who are still seated, and was told that it’s rude so I now always wait for people to get up.

I find it rude to dawdle in the middle of a jetway, while looking at your phone, and blocking people behind you, but as others don’t seem to find that rude, then I have my answer and will just walk behind the person and it say anything.

seat38a

I do it on a case by case depending on the situation. If the area is wide enough that I can pass without squeezing by, then generally I will. If it is usually the elderly, I'll wait, generally they will see me waiting and have me go ahead of them. Now if it is some clueless idiot who still hasn't figured out how pre-check works and is practically stripping down at security, you better believe it I'll pass them and even mutter something at them while doing it.

Repooc17

After ID check at TSA, if people are lining up and waiting to place their carryon bags while four other spots are open in the same line, I am doing everyone behind me a favor by going to one of the open ones. It crates a traffic jam if you are not using an open spot and just waiting for the person before you.

During boarding and deplaning, and specifically I am talking about the jet bridge at T4 JFK as an example, you could fit 5 wide with ease. I am also not waiting for the person before me if they are walking at snail pace.