This past weekend I flew out of ATL domestic airport, to Baltimore, then back. As annoying as airport security and long lines are, it's always fun to people watch at the airport. You get to see many different types of people, but they usually end up falling into certain stereotypical categories.
1. The Late Passenger
This is the passenger who is clearly in a rush to get through security and to their gate. Why? Their boarding time is basically now. I'm going to be honest, it's happened to me, and you can never judge the person's circumstances, so when someone says to you, "my boarding time is in 5 minutes, can I please get in front of you?" say yes. They have probably had a rough day, and there is no need to make it any harder on them. I had to run barefoot from the security checkpoint to my gate- which just so happened to the the furthest one from there.
2. The Super Early Passenger
This is the passenger who has arrived at their gate 2 hours before they board because they are (rightfully so) paranoid that they will miss their flight if they are not. Unfortunately, this often means that the flight before them has not boarded, so they are forced to walk around the airport aimlessly, and probably end up spending more money than they need to on coffee, food, or travel pillows.
3. The Super Loud Family
This family is probably going on a family vacation for some sort of school break. As such, the children are super excited and probably running around- even if it's 6am. The parents are loudly talking amongst themselves, which leaves the older cousins or siblings to babysit these rowdy kids, and the older kids just can't be bothered to get them to quiet down.
4. The "I just rolled out of bed" Passenger
Usually, you see this passenger in red eye flights. They aren't just comfortable- they could have potentially rolled out of bed and come to the airport. They are rubbing sleep from their eyes, yawning like no one's business, and probably falling asleep while waiting in lines.
5. The Businessperson
This passenger is constantly on their phone, tablet, or laptop except for when they absolutely cannot be. As soon as it's safe to pull out these devices again in flight, you can be sure they will because they can afford to pay that ridiculous WiFi fee on the plane.
6. The Seasoned Flier
This person travels a lot. They know the in's and out's of flying and the best way to navigate the airport. They are usually happy to answer your questions if you are lost or confused, and may even do a better job than airport personnel. They probably have a gorgeous suitcase which they carry- on because they don't have time to deal with lost luggage- they have to catch their next flight!
7. The Class Trip
This is a group of children with minimal adult supervision. They are going on a trip through school, church, or camp, and they probably have matching t-shirts and nametags. The adult usually loses control by the time they reach the gate, but that's okay because how can you loose all the matching children?
