Late, late, late.

I'm torn once again here, as to whether my annoyance at what I'm about to describe is justified. Lateness. Ugh. I abhor it on a personal level, and am always, always punctual. Whether turning up at a friend's house at the time I say I will, or something more important like an interview or meeting, I will always arrive on time if not early, and can't stand it if for some reason I don't or can't. With that in mind, I would always, always arrive for a flight with oudles of time to spare. What I can't get my head around then, is how people can very, very nearly miss a flight due to lateness. Especially with so much at stake. Most airlines won't refund or change bookings for late passengers, unless there are very extenuating circumstances which explain their lateness. So to miss a flight ultimately means throwing away an awful lot of money.

Of course I am sympathetic towards extenuating circumstances. Stansted Airport is connected to London Liverpool Street station by the Stansted Express train - and as with any form of public transport, delays happen. We often have hoardes of passengers running up to check in apologetically at the last minute because their train has been delayed. With this I have no problem whatsoever. What I simply CAN'T understand, and in all honesty (here I go again) what makes me mad, is people who saunter up to check-in at the very last minute (or sometimes after the last minute which is even worse as it means we have to re-open the flight) with NO sense of hurry, or apology, or even any sort of awareness that they are late. When this happens we tend to play the guilt card and point out that they are very lucky and have almost missed the flight - especially when we have to re-open it for them. Sometimes even that doesn't even register with them. Perhaps people don't get as excited about their holidays as I do about mine, and missing the flight is no big deal, they'll just go and sit at home for two weeks instead?!

The reason I am torn then is this: I have forgotten since working at the airport, what constitutes common knowledge, the sort of things that Average Joe Passenger (this Average Joe chap seems to be clocking up some air miles with me!) are just aware of... and what are the things that I only know because I work there. In people's defence, if they are new to flying, perhaps they simply don't realise that one needs to arrive at the airport in time to go through the increasingly rigourous security checks, and that the boarding gate probably ISN'T right next to the check-in desk. Perhaps they think that catching a plane is literally like catching a bus, you can arrive at the last possible minute. To counter that though, most airlines will include the check-in time on their ticketing. I would also like to think that even if you don't fly regularly, you are aware enough that an airport is a big and busy old place and that time must be allowed.

My question is this...is turning up that late ignorant or arrogant?! Answers on a postcard please! (That's if you make your flight, get to your destination and are able to send one).