Monday

The Doors

Not just this morning but everytime I have taken a flight , gone to see a movie, I have witnessed this.

We carry numbered tickets/ boarding cards so there should’nt be a stampede right? What prompts people to elbow, stamp and push everyone else to be the first through the door! Why do they try to be the first to get in to a movie hall, that they prevent the people from the previous show, from getting out. It happenes in trains, buses, elevators too!

I have always wondered about the door that forces people out of their natural sense of inertia! I have a few theories on this - if you will
• Feeling of success - accomplishment - the door represents the reaching of a target, the achieving of a goal – whether or not it has any material rewards! Maybe the reward is in the race itself!
• The sub-conscience treats every door as the finish line of a race in an effort to try and make winning a habit
• It is a chain reaction started by the first person who makes a rush for the door – seeing someone else trying to be the first forces a person to defeat that person!
* Another could be - they are most unconcerned about their fellow passengers
• The final possibility – in my opinion the most likely – is that most people are impatient and are blind followers.

Am sure there must be more motivations that I am unclear on

18 comments:

sanjiv said...

What is it with air travel and why are people so impatient when it is time to disembark? It’s almost as if their life depends on how quickly they can get into the terminal at the other end and patience just goes out the window

sheila said...

I’ve seen this on practically every single flight I have ever been on and it doesn’t matter where you are flying domestic (uk) or international (spain). The overhead lockers are opened as soon as the seat belt sign is switched off and they all begin shoving their way into the aisle so they can stand there craning their neck to see if the door has been opened yet. What is the reason for this absolute madness?!

melinda said...

Ever seen how folks stand up as soon as flight lands? It takes a cool few minutes before the doors are opened but they will all stand and elbow each othr n jostle for space to remove cabin baggage gawd!!

Jim said...

You know how a smoker feels when after a 10hr flight he is gasping for the stick he waits on hours to land so tat he can rush out on landing n catch a few drags, but surely all "pushers" are not smoking passengers now?!:)

gita said...

I think it is to do with basic instincts- "I should'nt be the last man standing"

And in India we simply lack courtesy for each other!

Mike said...

Thinking aloud - can you imagine the shock on the stewardess"s faces if nobody got up and waited patiently in their seats till the door is opened:)

Anon said...

aaarrgh! I cant absolutely cant travel by trains and buses anymore! And talking abt the shoving pushing at cinema theatres, seen what happens when you are walking in Lokhandwala or even linking road?! Horrible!

Neelu said...

The crowning glory - I am in the bathroom in Barista and as soon as I open the door, even before I can get out, in rushes this woman without a glance or an apology. I hurriedly leave thinking she's not going to wait till I go out! Well if you gotta go you gotta go, but at least let the other person get out!

This attitude we Indians have is I think to do with opportunity and competition. If you don't get to the pie, there are a hundred others who'll eat it. But we need to learn to be sensible about it. This pushing and shoving and squabbling is ridiculous.

Neelu said...

hear this - I open the door of the bathroom in Barista to get out, and a woman shoves her way in, without a glance or an apology! I hurriedly leave thinking she's not going to wait till I go out. If you gotta go you gotta go, but this is absurd.

The size of the pie is small, a hundred people will eat it if you don't - opportunity and competition. But there's a limit to how ridiculous the pushing and squabbling can be. We Indians need to learn patience and sensitivity

Neelu said...

sorry mee, i thought i messed up with my post, so i wrote again! that's me - tech challenged.

ashish said...

Hola! It took a while for me to come back to you because I was away in Spain for a mnth and a half on vaccation! The good news is you are in The Fortune and e Economist:-) And now there is a larger base of viewers to your blog. Happy blogging!

Mee said...

hehehe everybody seems to have a grouse here:-)

neelu- dont worry at all:-)

ashish - thanks!:-)

ALLEX said...

fast life.... short time..... get everything in one go

Unknown said...

the great indian crab syndrome....or the me too me first syndrome...

Arundhati Ghosh said...

I think its more to do with the fact that we Indians have always known "scarcity" and still cant get out of that ration mode. so if i am not there first, i may not get it !! that mentality comes up pretty unconsciously without any regard for anyone else. we see this on roads as well - as long as i can squeeze thru creating enough problems for others i really dont care !!!

RavneetSingh said...

sardines love sticking to each other and pushing around:-) wat dya expect? Oz?:-)

Sunil Varma said...

Have you ever considered this...everyone attempts to rush into the plane so that they can keep their several bags in the overhead compartments, before they're full. It has happened to me often...I refuse to appear undignified and rush, looking at everyone else with disdain and feeling superior (while they couldn't give a damn!) and then sit in my seat with my bag in my lap...

Mee said...

Sunil- happens, maybe people around you are listening, watching and learning!