Airports are their own civilisation. They have their own time zone (departure board time, unrelated to reality), their own currency (duty-free and overpriced sandwiches), and their own social rules. Here is the unofficial guide.
The security conveyor belt has its own grammar. Shoes in one tray, laptop in another, liquid bag on top. If you do not know this you will be judged. If you have forgotten and put your laptop in your bag, you will be asked to go back. You will feel your fellow travellers' gaze.
The moving walkway is not an excuse to stop moving. It is a tool to go faster, not a rest facility for people with heavy hand luggage. Stand to the right if you are resting. Walk on the left. This is global.
The gate seating is a survival game. Everyone is looking for an outlet. The person sitting next to the only plug is the most powerful person in the terminal. They know it.
The duty-free perfume sprint. Upon entering the duty-free zone, there is a corridor of fragrances and sunglasses designed to slow you down. Walk with purpose. Do not make eye contact with the staff holding the testers.
The boarding group fiction. Airlines print boarding group numbers. Everyone queues from group A to F. Then all 180 people stand up the moment boarding is announced, regardless of group. This has happened every time in history.
We all know the rules. We all follow them. We are, collectively, predictable and oddly comforting.
