I’m a flight attendant — passengers are annoying but I absolutely hate ‘gate lice’
Add gate-crashers to the long list of passengers that cabin crew can’t stand.
Flight attendants are speaking out against “gate lice” who crowd the boarding area at the airport, saying the self-centered travelers believe they’re better and more important than their fellow fliers.
“I absolutely hate gate lice,” declared Brian Hart Hoffman who was a flight attendant for eight years with US Airways and Alaska Airlines, per Thrillist.
Allegedly coined in a 2005 FlyerTalk discussion thread, “gate lice” refers to passengers who hover around the gate like insects before it’s their turn to board so they can ostensibly secure overhead storage space.
Crewmembers are speaking out against “gate lice” who crowd the boarding area so they can get on first. dima – stock.adobe.com
“Some of the dedicated ‘lice’ are in place and blocking things while the airplane is being deplaned from the inbound flight,” griped ex-crewmember Brian Hart Hoffman. Getty Images
The disparaging label has only picked up steam two decades later, especially in crewmember circles. Hoffman says that bum-rushing the gate is not only super unnecessary but it can also delay takeoff by preventing passengers from boarding.
In some instances, these campers can even obstruct flyers departing an aircraft that just arrived.
“Some of the dedicated ‘lice’ are in place and blocking things while the airplane is being deplaned from the inbound flight,” griped the ex-crewmember, who accused them of believing they’re more “important than anyone else flying.”
Meanwhile, Rich Henderson, air host and mind behind the Two Guys on a Planeblog, said that gate lice sometimes hinder crewmembers and cleaners who are trying to board, which can also result in delays. Loomers can also make it difficult for people in wheelchairs or those who require other forms of assistance to get by.
Some defenders have called the practice necessary as there is not enough storage space on planes. Space_Cat – stock.adobe.com
Air employees aren’t the only ones taking issue with the growing gate lice infestation.
“The last couple times I’ve flown it kind of made my blood boil watching this mass of people crowd around the gate and just stand there not moving,” complained one person in one of the many gate louse-bashing forums circulating Reddit. “It is so simple and the GAs announce it every time — ‘please remain seated until your boarding group is announced.’ Yet without fail the gate lice always congregate.”
In the aforementioned FlyerTalk forum, an alleged United Airlines’ Premier 1K status called gate lousing one of their biggest “pet peeves.”
“Get the hell out of the way so I can board, thanks,” they groused.
Some fly-witnesses even accused flight attendants of allowing gate lice to cut the line. “In four of my last five flights, I’ve seen people with Group 3 or higher push their way in front of me, hand their ticket to the GA, GA tells them they’re boarding Group 1 and proceed to tear their ticket and let them board,” claimed one forum user.
However, some defended gate-crashing on the grounds that there is not enough storage space on an airplane for everyone, therefore necessitating the practice.
“My son, who was on a 40K award trip from LAS to ORD, was among the last to board since he was near the front,” said one sympathizer in the flight forum. “Since the overhead bins were full, he was told to had to check his bag. The flight was late anyway, and the extra time to go to wait for his bag kept him from getting to his apartment until after midnight. He had to be at work at 6 a.m.”
They added: “In the future, shouldn’t we board early to be sure our carry-on makes it?”
While ex-crewmember Hoffman acknowledges that baggage policies affect passenger behavior, he claims that flyers can mitigate gate lousing by “thinking about other people.”
Kristie Tse, a psychologist with Uncover Mental Health Counseling, dubbed gate lousing a psychological issue.
“Crowding the gate often stems from a mix of anxiety and a desire for control,” she said. “Individuals may feel an overwhelming urge to secure their position, fearing they might miss out or face consequences if they don’t act quickly. This behavior can indicate underlying insecurities or a lack of trust in the process.”
This gate anxiety can, in turn, be exacerbated by seeing other crowders, like a herd mentality.
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