Why Do We Behave Differently at Airports?

Many of us have witnessed unusual and even anti-social behaviour at an airport or on a flight. These may range from benign acts such as sleeping on the floor or doing yoga in front of the flight information display system to serious incidents like early morning drunken arguments or even trying to open the aeroplane doors mid-flight.

The Psychology of Airports

These more sinister problems appear to have worsened over recent years, with increasing air rage incidents and flight diversions. Such incidents have led to calls to reduce or even ban the sale of alcohol at airports and on planes. RyanAir, for example, has called for a two-drink limit at airport bars to stop drunken incidents on planes.

But what is it about airports that make us behave differently? Let’s take a look at the psychology.

Feeling of Adventure

Many holidaymakers feel that the adventure begins at the airport, putting them in a different frame of mind to normal. They are eager to begin their one or two weeks’ of relaxed hedonism with a flourish.

Stress and Anxiety

Others, however, are anxious about flying, which may make them act out of character or take refuge in alcohol. The noise and crowds of airports doesn’t help either. As the field of environmental psychology has demonstrated, human beings are very sensitive to our immediate surroundings, and can easily become “overloaded” by stressors such as crowds and noise.

Influence of Place

Stress and anxiety produce irritability, both on a temporary and ongoing basis. People who are generally anxious are more prone to anger. And a temporary anxious mood often triggers angry outbursts.

Psychogeography

In my view, we also need to look at the airport from a psychogeographic perspective. Psychogeography studies the effect of places on people’s emotions and behaviour, particularly urban environments. In Celtic cultures, there is a concept of special “thin places” – often sacred groves or forests – where the veil between the material and spiritual world is thin. In these thin places we are between two realms, neither fully in one place nor another.

Liberating Effects

On the plus side, all of this may have a liberating effect for some of us. As I point out in my book, we normally view time as an enemy that steals the moments of our lives and oppresses us with deadlines. So to step outside time sometimes feels like being let out of prison.

The same applies to identity. A sense of identity is important to our psychological health but can become constricting. Like actors who are stuck playing the same character in a soap opera week after week, we enjoy the security of our roles but long to test and stretch ourselves with new challenges. So to step outside our normal routines and environments feels invigorating. Ideally, the freedom that begins at the airport continues throughout our foreign adventures.

Conclusion

Ultimately, whether we feel anxious or liberated, we may end up acting out of character.

FAQs

Q: Why do people behave differently at airports?
A: Airports can be a liminal zone, where boundaries fade, and time becomes hazy, leading to a sense of disorientation and a potential for anti-social behaviour.

Q: What factors contribute to this behaviour?
A: Stress, anxiety, and the influence of place, as well as the feeling of being on holiday and the desire to let loose, can all play a role.

Q: Is banning alcohol from airports a solution?
A: While it may be a drastic measure, it could be effective in reducing anti-social behaviour, as it would remove one potential factor that can contribute to out-of-character behaviour.