Crying in the airport
 

it's probably the worst! Already being upset about something (likely leaving someone you love) and then having to keep it together long enough to get through security, then the loneliness of sitting at the gate, and trying to look normal once on the plane as not to scare your seatmate! Surely someone knows what I'm talking about?

Not exactly. :confused:

I mean, I've had to travel to attend the funerals of family members and friends and I've been sad about the situation, but I can't recall a single time where I was sobbing or had to "pull it together" at an airport because I was overly emotional.

Don't you know there's no crying in the airport?

(apologies to Tom Hanks.)

Travel can be very emotional. It can be for happy or sad reasons, it can take you away from loved ones. Add stress into the bargain, and it's no wonder you can get upset.

However... For every emotional farewell, there is a hysterical tantrum, a manipulative sob, or worst of all, verbal (or even physical) aggression towards front line staff. Those, I have never had any time for.

I think the closest I've been to crying in an airport was when I saw my tab and found out what they charge for a beer!

Seriously, I did sit next to a girl (early 20's, I would guess) who sat facing the window and cried most of the way through a two hour flight.

Beat me to it.

I tend to be very calm once I get through security and/or on the plane, I think because I know that once I get into that controlled environment, there's not a lot I can do about anything until I get back off the plane and back outside again. I had to make a quick return from MSP to BNA last winter because my wife had called to tell me that my mother-in-law, who was in hospice at that point, probably wouldn't make it through the day. I went standby and squeezed into the last seat on a regional jet. I remember having a nice conversation with my seatmate, an farmer from somewhere in Minnesota who was going to BNA for a weekend getaway and had never been there, and had seldom flown. I never brought up my own reason for flying that day and was able to forget about what was going on with my wife's family for a while.

I know this sounds weeny for a man but the first time I went to SYD I was just beyond amazed. Anyway, the flight out on a beautiful summer day and I am depressed as hell about going back to winter time in NYC. The last land I could see from the a/c window was Biondi Beach on very sunny day. Luckily, I was in a row by myself and started to cry but don't think anyone noticed.

Of course, every flight that I have taken to Oz since then has been completely full. Probably would have held it together better with many more paxs around me.

If you're sad, just go into the lounge and drink it dry to calm yourself down ;)
The most sobering moments I've had at an airport were just before boarding my return on the BA HKG mistake fare of a few years ago. Not because I had loved HKG (which I did find quite interesting), but because I was dreading the prospect of another 13-hour long full flight in WHY! :(

I'm surprised nobody's posted this possibility yet (that happened to me once):

I was scheduled for a week-long business trip, leaving early Sunday morning. On Friday before the trip, one of my cats became visibly ill. I got her into the vet hospital asap where they diagnosed her as having organ failure from previously undiagnosed diabetes. They tried to stabilize her before I left for my trip, but early Sunday morning, literally as I was about to walk out the door, "The Call" came. It was truly horrible but I couldn't at that point cancel my business trip. I'm sure I was visibly sad but tried to hold it together through security and whenever dealing with people, but when I was sitting by myself in the gate and on the plane, I let myself cry quietly. I've never been able to hold in that kind of grief, but I tried not to be a disturbance to anybody around me.

I wonder what the TSA SPOT people think of that kind of thing.

That's exactly how I was. I was really worried about getting a hard time at security, just because that's how things had been going. Though maybe they see a lot of people who look like they had just been crying, obviously that has to happen at least kind of often at airports.

Did somebody die? Were you leaving for a long trip and it saddened you how you'd miss someone(s) very important to you?

Ah, if I were you, I would just cry no matter what... if TSA had a problem, well, screw them. We're human beings, and we have feelings. Although I have a feeling that some TSA screeners would actually feel bad for you and try to help you get through security as smoothly as possible - they're human beings too.

Why were you worried about being given a hard time for crying through security? Curious for your perspective.

Do you have difficult to remove piercings?

it was the TSA that made me cry, one of them called me a freakin wierdo for asking to have something to cover my bare feet having taken off my shoes(it was summer) I told the GA and he went to have a word with them, still wasnt all that pleasant before an overnight TATL

Crying? It happens to me all the time when i`m at the airport bar.
The 2 word- 2 phrase i dread to hear and i start sobbing
right away? 1. "Last Call" cause i`m too marinated and i missed
my flight! 2. "You`re cutoff" cause i`m really crying
and drinking more cause i actually did miss my flight!

This passage was only meant to lift spirits up because when you cry,
your only human no matter the outcome.

I cried last month buying 3 airplane tickets in the summer to SIN. As much as I've paid before for Biz tickets! :(

Sadly enough I cried this very day at Aarhus Airport (AAR)
The girl I hoped to be my future wife was not to be.
I`m still sad.
And if someone saw me...big deal. I don`t care.

I have you beat here... back in 2001 I sat next to a sobbing teenage girl the ENTIRE way from Europe at the end of the summer, apparently she met the boy of her dreams and had to leave him....:rolleyes::rolleyes:

This actually made me well up when I read it. I'm sorry this happened to you and am sending good vibes your way.

The New Yorker had a very funny story on this subject. Yes, I said funny. :D

Journey Into Night:
Business-class emotions

Never Ever be ashamed of crying if you need to.
And also-If you need to unload and someone asks-are you alright,please respond.
Airports can be scenes of very emotional moments,goodbyes and reunions are often releases of pent up emotion as well as having their own tugs at our hearts.
I cry when I must=regardless of location or company.Tears of sadness or tears of joy.

I've cried my eyes out quite a few times in airports, though in my case it's because I was in an LDR (Florida-UK) and it was the last time I'd see them for months and I knew it. I could care less what the eejits at security thought, though I did try and not disturb my seatmates. I did have some wonderful seatmates though, who usually talked to me the first half hour of the flight before I passed out from sheer exhaustion. I'm forever grateful to them for trying to make me smile and cheer me up.

Not something I have to worry about now as we live in the same country, but I've always remembered the kindness of people who tried to help a young girl smile through her tears. :)

Thanks for this! Not what I expected. :)

It happens
 

I'm sure it's happened to many of us... Not a big deal. I've gotten a little teary-eyed twice.

The first time was during a flight back to the states after an amazing trip to the UK, which ended up being the catalyst for some major changes in my life (thereafter turned around a lackluster academic career, dropped 60+ pounds, and matured a lot as a result).

The second time was returning from my grandmother's funeral. I spent most of the time I spent with my family trying to console people and take care of things that needed to be done. The flight home was the first time I was able to absorb what had happened, and think about what it meant for me.

I pretended to cry once - I was stuck in the XIY (Xi'an) airport in western China and had a flight that evening to Taipei from HKG on a different ticket and presto-changeo my flight to CAN on HU (Hainan Airlines) went from a 10.30 a.m. departure to a 2 p.m., then a few minutes later a departure the next day. Using bad Chinese (or worse than normal), I was able to get someone to help me refund my ticket, pass the cash to the ticket clerk next to her and help me recheck my bag for a flight to SZX on CZ (China Southern).

I'm sure they saw through it... but it worked.

I get teary eyed every time I leave Taipei for someplace to the east. My heart and head feel heavy when I'm back home in the US.

I recall a few years back waiting to board a flight from LHR to KUL. A young woman walked past me and she had the most depressed look. I pittied the poor sould who had to put up with such grumpyness for the next 12 hours.

I boarded the flight and found myself sitting next to said woman, who promptly on take-off burst in to tears. I asked her if she was okay. She went onto explain that she had been travelling for a month and had met a man in the UK and fallen in love with him and was very sad to be leaving, and was now flying back to Perth........ to her husband, who hadn't been able to take a month off work.

Anyway, once the crying was done with, she turned out to be one of the best seat companions I have had and we spent most of the next 12 hours chatting and drinking our way through the plane's alcohol supply.

I can't say that I've ever cried myself in airports, but I've seen plenty of heartwrenching farewells among families, ones that you just know will be very lengthy absences from one another, or worse even, "last goodbyes"; I've often had lumps in my throat and done a lot of blinking.

Now, walking out to the car parks after dropping someone off, is another story.

I was watching "City of Angels" on a plane one time...and there was this scene right after Nicholas Cage and Meg Ryan could finally be together. She was riding her bike on a back road and a truck hit her. Didn't see it coming (me or Meg). Starting sobbing.

Of course not. Yet if a TSA has an issue with an underwire bra, for example, I won't put up with it and strip in public because some guy tells me to do so. I would ask for a female supervisor and a private room. Yes, this has happened and yes, when you escalate a problem, you get the results you require. For further discussion, feel free to go that thread.

I almost cry when I found out the price of 3 tickets to SIN this summer! I just can't afford close to 6 grand. Guess the kids will have to visit grandma next year. :(

I wasn't for any specific reason, but I do get the dreaded SSSS kind of often for seemingly no reason, so I figured with how the day was going it would just be my luck. Fortunately it was fine.

It is a very long story. Leaving someone I love after a really good week that won't ever be the same again. Also it was my hometown, and I won't be back for a little while also.

I'm a nervous flyer already and I remember when I was in my 20's flying to my mom's. I was already upset because my best friend had gotten fired that morning and then I missed my connection, UA had no more available flights and put me on US Air and I had to shuttle to the other terminal. Fortunately, one of the other shuttle drivers took pity on me and put me in the correct line. Then after I finally check in I try to call my mom to tell her I'm not on that flight and I can't reach her (this was before cell phones). I called the only aunt whose I number I could remember off the top of my head and as soon as she answered the phone broke into tears and had a complete meltdown in the airport. I quickly recovered and got it together but was pretty embarrassed, plus I scared the heck out of my aunt. Since that time I am able to pretty much just roll with whatever happens.

horse glasses, Tor Viking, everybody:

If you need to cry, cry. If people are going to judge you or make fun of
you, that's their problem, the cold little creatures.

Funny I should come across this. My wife and I just dropped our son off at the airport yesterday after spring break. Its Burbank airport and we live in Burbank so it's 5 minutes from home. He's just flying to Oakland (he's at SFSU.) He was home for a whole month at Christmas, and when he went home we were OK, but after a week, as he walks toward security we both tear up! I guess he wasn't home long enough for us to annoy each other!

This airport image still haunts me
 

The scene was two young college aged people waiting at the gate for someone to arrive. They all burst into tears at the sight of one another when the person gets off the flight. Shaking and crying the sad scene progressed. Then they were gone. I was left waiting to board the plane wondering the story behind what I just witnessed. Sometimes one's imagination takes over.

On the other hand long long ago. I was the sobbing lovelorn teenager on the flight from SLC all the way to LAX. Truth is I can't even remember who I was sobbing about now.

A couple years ago was on a flight and they only had old movies. They played Rocky IV and when Rocky gave his speech after defeating Ivan Drago....











(April Fools!)

just a thought
 

I wonder if crying has increased in the terminal and gate areas now that people without tickets can't go through security.

I remember when people would stand outside the gate waiting for loved ones and friends to deplane. Those were the days. (Although one distinct benefit of the new system is being able to hit the bathroom right away, before meeting up with people). Back then, I'd assume most goodbye-related crying occurred on the plane (i.e. moments after the actual good bye when the passenger got on the plane).

The worst case I ever witnessed (pre-cellphone days) was a young woman waiting in the terminal at LAS, expecting her groom to be to arrive on a flight from DFW. The groom had been scheduled to arriving on an earlier flight, and hadn't. She had moved to the waiting area for my flight. No groom....

She's paged to the gate desk for a message. Groom not coming (cilly-dipped the entire sked and event to be)......Terrible scene, massive caterwhauling commences with floods of tears and moans of anguish.

Thank you youreadyfreddie for your good vibes,
And thank you violist for your kind words.

I can also mention last year I had a girlfriend in Australia. Sadly I had to break-up with her and that really cracked me. Whilst in the gate area in SYD I saw a young girl crying. I was crying myself and said that it looks like your not the only one. So there we were both supporting each other and letting it out. I know it hurts and may be embarassing but when supportive people come by and show their kindness it makes the world a better place.

The only time I remember crying at an airport was at North Island's MAC terminal back in the day. Their flight to Hawaii was full and I was a lowly 18-year-old PFC trying to get home for Christmas.

I called my mom from their pay phone and explained that I was going to take the bus up the coast to El Toro and try to catch a hop from there. Then I hung up, started tearing up and ran into the restroom to have a good long cry.

When I came out several minutes later, one of the desk clerks came over to me and said they'd been paging me as they'd found a spot for me on the flight and were ready to leave so come right along immediately.

I always wondered whether they took pity on me or if there really was a miraculous seat opening on that flight.