Airports and airplanes are places where many rules of polite behaviour seem to go out the window. People shuffle around like zombies in pyjama-like outfits, multiple bags bulging. They sit and spread everywhere. They are often loud, sometimes smelly, at times drunk, and frequently have no concept of personal space.
I often wonder if these irritating passengers normally behave rudely or whether flying brings out the worst in people. I am normally pretty easy going, but travel is stressful so I find myself more becoming more annoyed by selfish behaviour than I would otherwise be. Being trapped in airports and tin cans hurtling through the air means you cannot remove yourself from the behaviour as you normally might. If it gets really bad I do speak up but then I become even more irritated at being put in the position of being the bad guy.
The flights I am on are frequently between 10 and 12 hours long, and airlines definitely squash more people into planes than they should. The food is not good, there is no place to stretch, you are almost forced to stay in your seat for the entire trip, and there are long security lines before and after the actual plane even comes into the equation.
I think my pet peeve about flying is people who spread their legs and arms into my little patch of the plane. Admittedly that is usually because the seats are too small and the leg space too limited. I also hate that the airline boards the plane up to 1.5 hours before takeoff and you are then left sitting in a tiny space with up to 500 other people for well over an hour longer than you should. My grateful thanks goes out to every lovely person I have ever sat beside.
And these are rather fun
I love the Heathrow signage from May the 4th (also called Star Wars Day).