I know we all do it, but why do people straight-up stand directly in front of me?

I never stand right where the luggage comes out because it’s too crowded, and my bag is going to go around the carousel anyway—so why not stay a little further from the chaos? Our bags are all traveling the exact same loop, and we will all eventually get them. We cannot determine the order in which they appear. Cue the element of surprise: what truly threatens the American brain.

I’m usually just off by myself, waiting for my bag at a healthy distance so that I am not intruding on anyone else’s personal space and have enough room to actually maneuver. Why, oh why, do people feel the need to walk around me and stand right in front of my face, acting like I don’t have a bag to catch as well?

I am trying to be respectful of the social construct of personal space—something I am hyper-aware of. To me, refusing to act a certain way in public is just frustrating to others. But I suppose that’s just my own anxiety talking; no one else is really surveying the room to make sure everyone is acting “right.”

Being selfish in this specific way is so confusing to me because I would feel terrible if I blocked someone else from grabbing their things. I just don’t get it. I try to be respectful, but I guess respect is something we all forget to pack when heading to the airport.