When stuck on a long line, a certain tribal instinct starts to kick in. People know where they are in the line, as well as exactly who’s in front of them. Everyone else respects everyone else’s place in line, and when/if a line cutter comes by, that tribal instinct quickly kicks in.
Of course, most travelers have encountered someone trying to cut in line at the airport. Usually, they’re subtle about it. Maybe they pretend they’re looking for a family member. Maybe they act confused and wander forward “accidentally.”
One traveler, a Redditor named Blueskyguy88, recently shared a story about a guy who skipped those tactics entirely and went with a much bolder approach. Let’s just say it didn’t end well.
The incident happened at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport on a flight from Japan back to Washington. Blueskyguy88 said the line to check luggage was painfully long. Despite arriving well before departure, he still spent 20 to 30 minutes inching toward the counter.
As people approached the check-in area, they would see the length of the queue, sigh, and head to the back of the line like everyone else.
Then one passenger decided the rules apparently didn’t apply to him.
According to Blueskyguy88, a young man in his early 20s walked up, took one look at the line, and immediately began trying to strike up a conversation with another passenger who was standing nearby.
The goal seemed pretty obvious.
He was attempting the classic “let’s become friends for 30 seconds so you won’t mind if I cut in front of you” maneuver.
The problem was that the passenger wasn’t interested.
After a few minutes, the man finally told him what everyone else was thinking: “Hey man, you have to go to the back of the line.”
Rather than accepting the answer, the would-be line cutter decided to escalate.
What had started as an awkward attempt at making friends quickly turned hostile. The young man reportedly told the passenger to “f*** off,” challenged him with a “What are you going to do about it?” and began puffing out his chest while getting in his face.
Blueskyguy88 said the behavior was particularly jarring because it was happening in the middle of a Japanese airport, where nearly every interaction during the trip had been respectful, orderly, and polite. You know, as things typically happen in Japan.
Anyway, right around this time, Blueskyguy88 also turned around and told the man to head to the back of the line. That apparently didn’t have much effect either, although the chest-puffing routine may have been slightly less intimidating given that Blueskyguy88 was 6-foot-4.
Fortunately, neither passenger took the bait.
Instead, they waited until an airline employee walked by and explained what was happening. Several other people on the “line tribe” confirmed the story.
That’s when things got interesting.
According to Blueskyguy88, the airline employee removed the man from the line and informed him that he would not be flying that day.
The best part?
The flight was operated by Hawaiian Airlines, and it was the only flight on that route that day.
Assuming Blueskyguy88 was correct, the would-be line cutter might have earned himself an unexpected overnight stay in Tokyo because he couldn’t be bothered to wait in line with everyone else.
Blueskyguy88 says that even now, years later, he still thinks about the incident from time to time.
Not because someone got kicked off a flight.
But because he genuinely can’t figure out what outcome the guy expected.
Did he really think a combination of line-cutting, profanity, and trying to physically intimidate strangers in an airport was going to end in success?
Or did he walk away convinced that everyone else was the problem?
Either way, it’s a reminder that while airports bring out the best in some travelers, they seem to bring out something very different in others.
The response
The responses to Blueskyguy88’s story were varied but chances are they include what many of us are thinking:
- Airport line cutters always act shocked when the whole room finally says nah, not today. Respect to everyone who backed each other up instead of staying silent.– BigBirdsBrain
- my hot take is that airline staff need to do this way more often. public shaming and a 24-hour delay is the only language these narcissists understand.– CakePalette23
- Yeah, the fact that he got aggressive made it really easy for the airline to say “we don’t want him on a flight with a bunch of people he just tried to start s**t with”– Blueskyguy88 (in response to a response)
- It’s incredible how they can make you the baddie when you speak up “Hey man calm down it’s no big deal” — Kratzschutz
- This grinds my gears more than anything. The a-holes get away with whatever they want because no one wants to “ruffle any feathers” and stays quiet.– PilotC150
- It would be so much fun to be a 6’4” guy in situations like these! Sigh.– Friendly-Channel-480
- People who act up in airports just baffle me. Like, you’re only going to end up with a result you don’t enjoy.– BabserellaWT
- I’ve been to Japan many times, and that kind of behavior is very much frowned upon. Their society is incredibly polite, and you do NOT cut lines in Japan. Nor do you try to start a fight in a public place. He’s lucky he wasn’t banned from flying.– CoDaDeyLove
- Eastern Europeans have a very different attitude toward lines. It’s most obvious at American ski resorts. You can spot the Eastern Europeans a mile off, pushing to the front of every lift line all day long.– jimmyjazz2000
- People like this a** hat have convinced themselves that they are “ballsier” than others, smarter and more charismatic (ala con man) than others. It’s a direct rebuke to their sense of self when people stand up to them and their ego driven facade has been exposed and failed in a humiliating manner. They must not be enabled. Great work! — MilesAndTrane
That last one, though…maybe that’s why line cutters hate being called out.
They’re counting on everyone else to stay quiet, avoid conflict, and let them get away with it.
This guy made the mistake of assuming an entire line full of travelers would just shrug and accept his behavior.
Instead, he discovered what happens when the line tribe decides it’s had enough.
One minute he was trying to skip ahead of everyone else.
The next, he was apparently looking for a hotel room in Tokyo.
That’s a pretty steep price to pay for not wanting to wait your turn. 😏
Want to comment on this post? Great! Read this first to help ensure it gets approved.
Want to sponsor a post, write something for Your Mileage May Vary, or put ads on our site? Click here for more info.
Like this post? Please share it! We have plenty more just like it and would love it if you decided to hang around and sign up to get emailed notifications of when we post.
Whether you’ve read our articles before or this is the first time you’re stopping by, we’re really glad you’re here and hope you come back to visit again!
This post first appeared on Your Mileage May Vary
