'Aisle lice' is latest air travel annoyance to spark social media debate
Move aside "gate lice," flight passengers are now debating the latest travel annoyance that takes place on the actual plane: "aisle lice."
Gate lice drew headlines after American Airlines announced it was expanding new technology that beeps when encountering the phenomenon at more than 100 airports.
The term "gate lice" refers to passengers who cut lines in the hope of boarding a flight early. "Aisle lice," on the other hand, points to passengers who push through others in an attempt to deplane before anyone else.
On the "r/delta" Reddit forum, one flyer asked, "Who do hate more? Gate lice or aisle lice?"
The user shared that he or she was on a flight from Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport to LaGuardia Airport and witnessed "aisle lice" as soon as the plane landed.
"Not only do the two people next to me decide to stand up but [somehow] the guy from the window seat shoves his way forward and is the first of all of us to get off the plane," wrote the user.
Fox News Digital reached out to Delta for comment.
The user added that the passenger ended up heading to the restroom in the airport’s terminal.
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Fellow flyers took to the comments section to share their thoughts.
"Aisle lice. Gate lice do not bother me since most people want to get on first for the bin space," posted one user.
Another commented, "Aisle lice don't bother me as much because if they get up in my row (I am a window seat person) I usually get more room to stretch while I wait."
"Aisle lice are exponentially worse imo. who really cares who gets on the plane first, you’re all getting on anyways. aisle lice slow things down, delay people and cause so much more headaches," one stated.
A user said, "Lice are lice."
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"The fact we have to choose between these two is ridiculous. Neither is emblematic of appropriate adult behavior," one commented.
Adding, "Yes, sure, there are exceptions. However, literally everyone does it - watch on your next flights. Everyone cannot be the exception."
Brandon Blewett, Texas-based author of "How to Avoid Strangers on Airplanes," told Fox News Digital that "aisle lice" is also known as "eager exiters."
"[Aisle Lice] are those passengers who treat deplaning like an Olympic sport. The second the seat belt sign dings, they catapult from their seats, tossing bags into the aisle as if claiming prime real estate," Blewett told Fox News Digital.
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He added, "They narrate their travel woes with a level of self-importance usually reserved for royalty, all while elbowing past rows of patiently waiting passengers in a frantic bid to shave off a few precious seconds."
"It seems to stem from a misguided belief that being first in line somehow grants a magical pass to bypass everyone else deplaning in an orderly fashion. Spoiler alert: It doesn’t," said Blewett.
He said it's a travel habit he finds the "most annoying" as it can disrupt the deplaning order and cause hold-ups.
Blewett said that it can sometimes be understandable for those who are in a rush if they have a short window to catch a connecting flight.
He said that in those cases, flight staff should be made aware and, oftentimes, crew will politely ask passengers to stay seated for others to exit first.
"Frankly, everyone would get off faster if we stuck to the unspoken rule of waiting our turn," said Blewett.