Prepare for the descent of the “aisle lice.”
A United Airlines passenger complaining about fellow travelers reignited the heated etiquette debate about standing immediately after landing.
“Please remain seated,” Reddit user @MaraKud captioned a photo echoing the announcement usually heard over a plane’s speaker after landing.
However, as the person noted, the instruction is often ignored by people nicknamed “aisle lice.”
“And within five seconds … half the plane stood up,” they added while including a photo showing the plane’s aisle filled with passengers.
The person added that the pilot had announced that “there was a cargo balancing issue” and told passengers “that when we got to the gate, they needed everyone to stay seated until the baggage handlers confirmed that it was settled.”
Once they landed, the pilot again “reminded everyone to stay seated” — yet “people immediately stood up.”
“So frustrating,” they complained.
The thread turned into a debate about plane etiquette with people lamenting about their opinions regarding when it’s appropriate to stand after landing.
Most people on the thread seemed to believe those people to be “selfish and entitled.”
“That’s where I lose my mind … The people that have to stand up first, but then show absolutely zero willingness to HUSSLE. If you’re not gonna haul ass then wait and let the people that will go,” someone commented.
“I’ve seen people do that and they immediately have to wait in the jetway for their bag. Like wtf. My favorite is the usual occurrence that people behind you have to get off before you, then walk super slow in the terminal,” another added.
“My personal opinion is planes should always deplane front to back in an orderly manner. No sprinting up the aisle, but also no asking people to stay seated for tight connections. We all have places to be or just want the trip over ASAP,” someone else said.
But others defended those who get up when the plane is at the gate.
“Not to defend people who knowingly do this, but there’s also a good chance that many of those people couldn’t understand a word being said over the intercom and never got the message,” someone noted.
“I have no problem with people standing after the chime … I also want to stretch my legs. It’s the sprint up the aisle that’s annoying,” another wrote.
“I don’t get the hate for people who get up right away. People need to stretch, people need to pee, people have tight connections. I get not pushing and shoving but you’re not better than everyone else because you’re just sitting there,” someone else said.
Many people clearly have strong opinions about when you can get out of your seat after the plane lands.
However, there are no laws that say passengers must remain seated after the light has been turned off, according to federal aviation regulations.
“Aisle lice” specifically points to passengers who push through others in an attempt to deplane before those around them, while the similar term “gate lice” refers to passengers who cut lines in the hope of boarding a flight early.
On the “r/delta” Reddit forum, one flyer asked, “Who do [we] hate more? Gate lice or aisle lice?”
Both seem to have their haters. As one user put it, “Lice are lice.”
