‘Gate queues’ are people queuing to board the plane early

One of the worst things about the airport is all the waiting in line.

First, you queue for check-in, then passport control and security, then queue for your Boots meal deal and then back to the toilet.

With that in mind, the last thing we want to do when traveling is spend more time standing in line than necessary.

Others don’t seem to have this mindset, however, and instead choose to stand in line from the moment the gate opens.

But airline workers have a cheeky name for these types: gate lice.

Urban Dictionary probably has the best definition for door lice:

Passengers, often inexperienced flyers [economy] class, who crowd or line up at a gate at an airport completely blocking the boarding area and preventing first and business class passengers from being able to board the plane when they are allowed to.

“They can also cause delays and confusion if a passenger in a wheelchair needs to board as the chair has to pass through the mass of gate lice hovering around the gate.”

“When it’s time to board, they have to be chased from the front of the boarding area to the back of the line, delaying the flight for everyone.”

Why do people queue unnecessarily?

To many, it is a mystery why ‘gate lice’ are the way they are. We all have assigned seats, and getting on the plane sooner doesn’t mean you’ll leave sooner.

In fact, I’d even argue that being on a plane for too long is just as uncomfortable as standing in line for too long.

Psychologist Dr Audrey Tang thinks it’s about feeling in control. “Boarding queues once we’re able can help us feel in control, which in turn makes us feel less stressed,” she tells Metro.co.uk.

“This is more likely to be true for people who have experience of being late.

‘Knowing you have time to spare, especially with luggage or children, can also play a role.

“Maybe some people like to be first, but it’s mostly about keeping yourself cool.”

This makes sense. If you’re an anxious traveler, knowing you’re where you need to be and don’t need to do anything else will likely help you relax.

Not to mention, there’s rarely enough room in the overhead lockers for everyone’s bags, so boarding early ensures a space.

But beyond practicality, other psychologists believe that many people stand in line to ride simply because everyone else is doing it.

“People use other people as a source of information about both what is the right thing to do and what everyone else is doing,” Shira Gabriel, a professor of psychology at the University at Buffalo, told the Washington Post.

“People will do strange things if they think this is the way to behave.

“When you see people lining up, getting ready, it makes you feel like there’s a benefit to it.”

So there you have it.

The next time you’re thinking about standing in line for your flight, despite the fact that your boarding number hasn’t been called yet, you might want to think about lice — oops, twice.

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