Pet Peeves

Airline flying equals lots of repetition. You do the same things over and over again, several times a day, several days a week. This includes going through security at the beginning of the day and walking through a terminal full of the Traveling Public. Behavior that is only mildly annoying when encountered occasionally becomes practically unbearable when faced with it repeatedly, day after day.

Pet Peeve #1: Standing on the Moving Sidewalk
First of all, the original intent of the moving sidewalk was to expedite travel down long corridors such as those found in airports. When one simply stands on the moving sidewalk, it actually slows the pace compared to walking at a decent clip and causes traffic to pile up behind you. Solution: If you must stand due to a physical handicap, laziness, or carrying too much luggage, at least do it to one side. I know most west coasters have never heard the phrase "walk on the left, stand on the right," but I guarantee that if you don't comply in places like Washington, DC, you will be shoved aside, run over, or shot.

Pet Peeve #2: Standing On or Blocking the Escalator
Escalator protocol is similar to that of a moving sidewalk with one notable exception: if you are towing luggage (as is common at airports) you get a pass on walking. This does not, however, mean that you can stand on one side of the escalator with your luggage on the other side. Solution: Put it behind you so others can walk up the escalator on the left side (see above).

Pet Peeve #3: Stopping at the End of the Escalator or Moving Sidewalk
Escalators and moving sidewalks seem to cause a lot of problems; here's the third annoyance related to these modern marvels. The same people who stand with belongings sprawled across the width of these devices tend to step off and stop, looking around bewildered trying to decide where to go next. They seem not to understand that a stream of people is coming off the contraption behind them like a 20-car pile-up with nowhere to go. Solution: Walk at least five feet in any direction to allow traffic to continue moving behind you.

Pet Peeve #4: Blocking the Security Exit
The exits from airport secured areas tend to be narrow as they have to be guarded by a TSA agent to prevent terrorists from entering. And since non-traveling family members can no longer meet arriving parties at the gate, they tend to congregate outside security watching for great-granny to come out. Arriving flights tend to cause a steady throng of passengers exiting to the baggage claim and transportation areas. This leads to a blockade of sorts as the people who aren't being met weave their way around the throngs of greeters who are craning their necks, waving flowers, or jumping up and down screaming at their arriving guest. It gets particularly challenging when a family of five surrounds great-granny in the exit hallway, leaving only single-file room on either side for others to escape. Solution: Some airports (thank you, Vancouver) solve this dilemma with fencing to force the greeters to one side while arriving passengers are directed unobstructed to the exit. The Traveling Public could try to maintain some small awareness that others exist and also need to function within the limited space provided. Let granny get into a more open area before closing in on her, or escort her off to the side before surrounding her.

When I'm finishing a four-day trip exhausted and eager to get home, it seems that all of these things conspire against me to slow my progress to the exit.