re: Airports and the decline of humanity

The people watching is hands down the best part of being in an airport.

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Flying has become so miserable it’s getting to where it makes traveling not even worth it.

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I've had to fly a lot the past 6 years. It's such a pain in the arse that I'll give myself an extra day if I have to and just drive. See a lot cool stuff along the way that you miss flying over.

The level of decorum in this country and across the globe has been eroding for decades. You can find plenty of examples of how people used to dress for flying, attending ball games, family outings, business meetings, trips to the store, vacations, etc.

It’s all gone to hell.

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Here’s the thing though. It’s not meaningfully less comfortable to wear reasonable looking clothes, sneakers, etc. rather than flip flops and PJs. They make good looking, comfortably casual options now and people still opt to be the lowest common denominator in growing numbers.

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You’re preaching to the choir, but you’re also discounting that “comfort” isn’t purely physical. I wear a suit most days, which means I’m usually wearing a suit when I have lunch, and not uncommonly still have it on if I’m out to dinner (tie long gone by that point). It’s not frequent, but over the years, I’ve had dozens of people initiate a conversation that goes something like:

- I don’t know how you wear that every day. I would be so uncomfortable.
- Nah, it’s not uncomfortable as long as it fits properly.
- Oh come on, you can’t tell me that’s more comfortable than wearing jeans.
- (as politely as I can…) It is. Everything I’m wearing was tailored to fit me, and it’s all made out of nice worsted wool fabric. So everything fits better, feels smoother, and breathes better than jeans.

And here’s where the break happens, because without fail, they pivot into talking about how uncomfortable they would feel wearing it, not physical comfort, but feeling self conscious, or being afraid they would spill something on it and stain it, or catch it on something and tear it, etc, etc.

For some people, myself included, dressing well mentally feels like putting on armor, like there’s nothing we can’t look in the eye and deal with that day. Other people seek out the mental comfort of wearing clothes that they not only don’t care about, but conveys to everyone around them how little they care right now, so they had better not be fricked with.

Different kind of person, different kind of armor.

I travel a good bit for work and will stretch driving as much as I can to avoid dealing with an airport and the people in it.

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And to think places like Denmark and Sweden want to diversify.

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They really don't though.

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Of course you do.

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No, I don’t not care at all what anyone wears at the airport.

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I feel like this post is directed to a specific group of people

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I pictured a bunch of obese, slovenly white people.

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I'm with OP on this. Flying is a pain in the arse and disgusting.

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Agreed. I'm not pining for the days of wearing suits and such on airplanes, but a big part of the reason you "dress up"** for flying or other venues like restaurants is a sign of respect for others.

** In this case "dress up" means pants, socks, normal shirt, probably a shower. I don't want to touch your knees and none of us want to swap sweat. None of us want to smell each other.

In this day and age I don't think of it as "dressing up" so much as the absence of fashion. If you weren't trying to impress the other flyers, what would you wear? (And why are we trying to impress the other flyers????)

Honestly the best flying outfit might be the State Farm dockers guy.

I don't mind, because people like us, who make it a point to look somewhat decent, stand out. I was recently on a flight to Newark, and there was this guy next to me with hairy arms, a tank top, and flip flops, who looked like a poor man's version of TBob Hebert. He was elbowing me, and was making it a point to let everyone around him know he was watching Eastbound and Down on his iPad.

Right after we take off, the stewardess comes up to me, and says in a serious tone, "Sir, can you please come with me? Bring your bags." She moves me to an empty seat in first class.