Frequent Flyer Refused To Dodge An Oblivious Passenger At O’Hare — His Pizza And Drink Went Flying

A frequent traveler was connecting at Chicago O’Hare after a delayed flight. The airport was packed, his connection was tight, and he was moving quickly with the flow of traffic through the terminal. A man in his mid-20s was walking beside him carrying a fountain drink and pizza. Then the man suddenly darted across his path without looking. Our hero says he had perhaps half a second to react. He could have slowed down or tried to dodge the man. He made a conscious decision not to. I’m not small. He bounced, spilled drink, dropped pizza. I kept walking and made my flight. Felt good in the moment. Then he started feeling guilty and confessed to social media. He says the other passenger “pivoted on a dime” and barged into him. He just decided not to swerve. He “let the intrusive thoughts win” and allowed the collision to happen. He describes the man as having a “gold chain Gucci vibe,” says he would have stopped for an older passenger, or anyone who appeared to be struggling. He made his flight and the stranger’s lunch did not. The Internet Considers Him A Hero The confession generated around 4,600 upvotes and nearly 1,000 comments before the thread was locked. Much of the reaction was frequent travelers living vicariously through him. That pizza died teaching him an important lesson about checking before changing lanes. Half the people are moving like they have eight minutes to save their marriage, the other half are sightseeing in front of Gate C12. People stop as soon as they step off an escalator even though the escalator keeps delivering more people behind them. Families walk four abreast across the terminal. Passengers stand in the middle of a corridor trying to determine where their gate is instead of moving to the side. Airports Reveal Who People Really Are I’ve argued that you should see how someone behaves at an airport before committing to a relationship. Do they shove past other passengers or remain polite? Do they crowd the gate? Do they move with purpose or wander through the shops while everyone else tries to get around them? An airport lets you learn about someone at ten times the normal speed. It combines time pressure, uncertainty, crowds and (modest) adversity. Civilization breaks down at the airport: people drinking at Chili’s at 7 a.m., $9 pretzels, arbitrary security rules, gate lice and passengers losing their minds as soon as a flight’s delayed. Chicago O’Hare even removed moving walkways from parts of the C concourse so that passengers no longer speed past concessions without stopping to spend money. Here’s How You Should Navigate An Airport When you’re deplaning, you should use available space, get ready to move, and avoid making everyone wait while you slowly collect your belongings. A zipper merge keeps traffic flowing when someone ahead isn’t ready. Don’t shove people. If you have a tight connection, explain that and say “excuse me.” Most passengers will let you through. Terminals are often overcrowded for the number of people they’re trying to move, so the same basic principles apply. Walk consistently with the flow of traffic. Check before stopping suddenly or changing direction. Move to the side before examining signs or your phone. On a moving walkway, stand to the right and leave the left open for people walking. If you’re in a hurry, say “excuse me” instead of treating people in your path as an obstacle course. If you lose your pizza, you have only yourself to blame. Topics on this page