All rules cease to exist the moment you step foot in anairport. Dressing like Lord Farquaad to catch a flight? No biggie. Chowing down on your third beer at 7 AM? Totally acceptable. Bringing a pizza box as your carry-on? Go ahead, you legend.Don’t believe us? Just take a look at all of the strangest moments captured inairportsthat we atBored Pandagathered from the depths of the internet. Be prepared to take off on a bizarre adventure, and don’t forget to share your thoughts on it down below!While you’re at it, make sure to check out a conversation with an experienced traveler and blogger,Apeksha Shah, and travel specialist and owner of Where to Next Travel,Amy Zainfeld, who kindly agreed to share the weird moments they witnessed while trying to catch a flight.This post may includeaffiliate links.
All rules cease to exist the moment you step foot in anairport. Dressing like Lord Farquaad to catch a flight? No biggie. Chowing down on your third beer at 7 AM? Totally acceptable. Bringing a pizza box as your carry-on? Go ahead, you legend.Don’t believe us? Just take a look at all of the strangest moments captured inairportsthat we atBored Pandagathered from the depths of the internet. Be prepared to take off on a bizarre adventure, and don’t forget to share your thoughts on it down below!While you’re at it, make sure to check out a conversation with an experienced traveler and blogger,Apeksha Shah, and travel specialist and owner of Where to Next Travel,Amy Zainfeld, who kindly agreed to share the weird moments they witnessed while trying to catch a flight.
This post may includeaffiliate links.
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Experienced travelerand blogger who has visited 39 countries,Apeksha Shah, tellsBored Panda, “Airport antics start from literally checking in till baggage collection. Some small classic scenarios that I usually encounter would be someone trying to fit an oversized suitcase into an overhead bin meant for a bag half its size, much to the amusement of fellow passengers.”A more extremely bizarre moment she recalls is a person falling onto a conveyor belt and being unable to get out. “Also, an airport is a place where people are usually either too dressed up or are literally in their pajamas, directly from their beds. I have encountered people literally carrying inflatable dinosaurs along, dressing up like superheroes or anime characters - these sights are not frequent,” she shared with us.
Experienced travelerand blogger who has visited 39 countries,Apeksha Shah, tellsBored Panda, “Airport antics start from literally checking in till baggage collection. Some small classic scenarios that I usually encounter would be someone trying to fit an oversized suitcase into an overhead bin meant for a bag half its size, much to the amusement of fellow passengers.”
A more extremely bizarre moment she recalls is a person falling onto a conveyor belt and being unable to get out. “Also, an airport is a place where people are usually either too dressed up or are literally in their pajamas, directly from their beds. I have encountered people literally carrying inflatable dinosaurs along, dressing up like superheroes or anime characters - these sights are not frequent,” she shared with us.
Incidents that she sees happening more frequently are often due to language barriers, “sometimes very hilarious, and which even get chaotic at times.”According to Apeksha, immigration also seems to result in comicalsituations. “Failure of a person to understand the immigration process, like scanning of passport and thumb impressions, actually led to an immigration officer literally leaving his place and guiding the person through, which was quite amusing and somewhat comical with the reactions and expressions from the officer.”She adds, “People have been found sleeping in creative places, one that I encountered was curled up on the floor under the seats in an airport."
Incidents that she sees happening more frequently are often due to language barriers, “sometimes very hilarious, and which even get chaotic at times.”
According to Apeksha, immigration also seems to result in comicalsituations. “Failure of a person to understand the immigration process, like scanning of passport and thumb impressions, actually led to an immigration officer literally leaving his place and guiding the person through, which was quite amusing and somewhat comical with the reactions and expressions from the officer.”
She adds, “People have been found sleeping in creative places, one that I encountered was curled up on the floor under the seats in an airport."
Meanwhile, travel specialist and owner of trip planning agency Where to Next Travel,Amy Zainfeld, shares that she sees weird and random things in airports on a regular. “I’ve seen many dogs flying as passengers, once I saw a pampered dog in first class with her own seat, meal, and entertainment.”
Amy believes that weird things happen at airports because people see them as a neutral third place, “not home, not work or school, where they can feel comfortable letting their freak flag fly. Also, when you travel, there are no rules, no sense of time, calories, or money on the travel day, especially. When you enter an airport, all rules go out the window,” she explains.
Apekshaa, as well as Amy believe that weird airport antics definitely make the airport a fun place to be. “Watching people amidst the hustle and bustle of travel has a quirky charm, and there’s always room for a bit of laughter and human connection. These lighthearted moments might also give a routine break to the staff, making the atmosphere more free and light," said Apeksha.
Even though some airport weirdness can brighten the day of any traveler or staff member, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) reminds us that it can sometimes become a threat to our safety. In 2022, the organization released avideolisting the top 10 most bizarre catches of the year that people tried to smuggle through security.
The ninth catch was an inert grenade (one that doesn’t explode) at General Mitchell International Airport in Wisconsin. Before it was discovered to be an imitation, the bomb squad was called in for help. The passenger said in a statement at the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office that he had purchased it at an air show.
The next one was a firearm stashed inside a PlayStation console. The agent who found it noticed it in an odd X-ray picture. “This isn’t a game…”wroteTSA on their Instagram account. “Our officers at Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport powered down this passenger’s poor packing choice. It’s never an idea rated E for everyone to pack firearm parts or guns in a carry-on bag.”
“The plot chickens as we barrel our way closer to Thanksgiving. For us, it’s a time to be thankful that our officers are always working around the cluck to keep you safe. Take for instance this “hen you believe it?” find at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.
We hate to beak it to you here, but stuffing a firearm in your holiday bird for travel is just a baste of time. This idea wasn’t even half-baked; it was raw, greasy, and obviously unsupervised. The only roast happening here is this poor packing choice!”
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