If travelers think airports are a stressful place to be in, then they may want to stop and spare a thought for the people who actually work there. We’ve all had worries about missing our flight because of a last minute gate change or getting impatient when standing in an endlessly long queue line at security, but at least passengers are often headed on holiday shortly afterward. Airport workers spend their 9 to 5 in one of the most high-pressure workplaces on Earth (some airport gate agents have even compared it to the stress of working in an emergency room!).

“How do you solve a problem like an unhappy flyer?” is something airport employees have to ask themselves on an hourly basis and as much as some customers would like to think so, workers don’t have all the answers. There are certain harsh truths that airport workers would love to tell travelers, but for the sake of keeping their jobs – and sticking to the rules – they can’t.

When airport employees have to juggle so much responsibility, no-one would blame them for wanting to vent their frustrations right back at rude passengers. Even the most professional of airport workers will have felt close to the breaking point by a particularly rude traveler or stressful situation, but for the sake of keeping the peace, they hold back. If airport employees could speak their mind though, what would they say? Besides the temptation to curse at rude customers, here are 20 of the things many airport workers wish they could say, but don’t...

20 “Don’t Assume I Know Everything”

In the same way that a store clerk in a clothes store doesn’t know the inner workings of the fashion industry or Gucci’s annual turnover, an airport staff member is only human and is not likely to be a walking encyclopedia on flying.

Whether they work at the gate, the flight lounge or the airport bar, employees will normally do their best to help travelers in any way they can, but it’s important for people to remember that they’re only human and if they can’t answer your question, it doesn’t mean they’re useless at their job or unworthy of your respect. This is basic manners and decency 101.

19 “Do You Realize The Pressure We’re Under?”

“Airports are fun!” said no human being ever. A traveler may be having a stressful morning because their flight got overbooked or they may have discovered they left their passport in the cab, but think about this: airport staff have to keep hundreds of people like them happy at all times for the entire day or they might lose their job. Now that’s what we’d call stress.

As well as having to deal with a mountain of queries and complaints on an hourly basis, airport workers will occasionally deal with travelers who get a little too close for comfort  and this can quickly turn a stressful job into a needlessly tortuous one. Compassion and patience are in short supply at the airport.

18 “Erm, No. You Can’t Get A Free Upgrade”

Some travelers like to live by the assumption that in order to get, all you need to do is ask (and at an airport of all places, this is a pretty dangerous assumption to make!). Flyers may have heard from travel hack sites that getting bumped up to a first class seat is as easy as 1, 2 3, but the truth is, you’re not always going to be in luck.

Airlines can have very different rules about letting flyers get upgraded to business or first class. A staff member may end up getting fired for giving in to customer pleas (or nagging) when it comes to giving out free upgrades.

17 “Get To The Airport In Time And You Might Make Your Flight”

Missing a flight is a nightmare scenario for any traveler, but don’t expect too much sympathy from airport staff members if turning up late was kind of your fault. It’s fairly common knowledge that people should arrive at the airport at least 1 hour and a half to 2 hours before their flight, but not every traveler is that responsible.

Catching a plane isn’t like taking the train or the bus – there won’t be another one along in five minutes and missing your connection will cost you a small fortune. It’s pretty simple: travelers should plan ahead to make their flight times, and if they don’t, yelling at an innocent gate employee isn't going to fix things.

16 “Don’t Blame Us For Flight Cancellations”

Flight delays and cancellations are one of the most infuriating elements of air travel, but it takes a particularly disgruntled and rude customer to go from feeling inconvenienced by the delay to feeling like airport staff are acting out a personal vendetta against them and should, therefore, be subject to verbal abuse until another flight comes along.

Yes, flight cancellations are a pain, but airport workers aren’t the ones responsible for making them happen. When faced with an angry, rude passenger, all airport gate employees can do is apologize profusely, when really they just want to yell this to make sure people get the message loud and clear – quit blaming us!

15 “Show Some Consideration To Other Passengers”

They say that “hell is other people” and this couldn't be applied more than to the kinds of travelers you can find at the airport. Everyone is just trying to either get home after a long and exhausting flight or simply trying to have a relatively stress-free start to one of the many legs of their journey and then, there are those flyers that make things that much worse for everyone else.

Airport employees are going to be reluctant to tell passengers what they can and can’t do to pass the time waiting at the gate or in the airport terminal, but it’s a good rule of thumb that whatever you do, you should always keep your fellow travelers in mind. Things like blasting loud music; clipping your toenails, or shouting on your cell phone in close proximity to others is not cool.

14 “Please Don’t Hand Us Documents That Have Been In Your Mouth”

Airport workers get that travelers can have their hands full when traveling, whether they have two hyperactive kids to keep in check or have brought their entire apartment on wheels for a long trip. But keeping your boarding pass between your teeth may not be the best solution, particularly since the poor airport employee now has to handle your saliva. Gross.

If the shoe were on the other foot and a traveler watched as a gate staff member held someone’s passport in their mouth while carrying out a task, the customer would surely think it unnecessary and disgusting – and may even rant at them for doing so.

13 “We Didn’t Invent The Rules Here”

Safety and security rules at the airport are there for everyone’s benefit. Most people get this, but for flyers that have a gripe with some of the pre-fixed rules and regulations that are there to protect them, suddenly the day can become a real grind for employees and fellow travelers alike.

Airport and airline workers are hired to make sure everyone abides by the rules and are simply doing their job, but unfortunately, you will always get the odd passenger who takes this personally as if it somehow puts a kink in their travel plans. Despite what some rude customers might believe, rules are there to make them safe, not give them a hard time.

12 “With That Attitude, Why Should I Help You?”

It’s in the job description of airport staff members and customer service employees to help out any traveler in need, but if they’re repeatedly treated like trash by certain customers, then that desire to help certain people is understandably going to wear a little thin.

Dealing with complaints or questions are fine if they’re done in a polite manner, but airport workers aren’t going to feel too smiley or welcoming when it comes to d-bag customers. When confronted with a passenger yelling or asking a question while on their cellphone, it might have staff thinking: “Why should I help out someone like you?”

11 “This Is A Plane, Not A Supermarket”

This is technically more of an issue for airline crew than airport workers, but a complainer in the air is likely to moan about the same complaints to ground staff once they land too. So what kind of passenger are we talking about? That one person (and there’s always one) who is in disbelief that a certain item or amenity isn’t on board.

Most people have a basic knowledge of a plane’s limited supply long before they board. A selection of alcoholic drinks and snacks, yes. Your favorite magazine and an eyelash curler? Er, no. Getting frustrated that a steel tube 30,000ft in the air doesn’t cater to you as well as you thought it might is pretty astounding and may have staff members wanting to yell this phrase at you.

10 “You Shouldn’t Have Overpacked For Your Travels”

A lot of us tend to ignore the advice that ‘less is more’ when packing a case for vacation. But we really should, as it can only come back to bite us on the behind at some point. It might be tempting to take that jumbo suitcase to fit in extra clothes we probably won’t be needing, but what happens when we can’t fit it in the trunk of a cab or end up paying a hefty baggage fee?

In our frustration, we might be quick to badmouth the airline charges instead of considering we might have been a little careless when packing. All the while, staff members will be bursting trying not to scream: “I told you so!”

9 “You Might Want To Shower Before You Fly”

Personal hygiene is a touchy subject and never something to be pointed out in public if it’s going to risk humiliating someone. But upon waving a particularly pungent passenger through security, we’ll bet there are some employees who wish they could warn someone to ‘freshen up’ before boarding their flight, for the sake of every other passenger on board.

Skipping your morning shower because you’re running late is one thing, but if you’re flying home after a 5-day trek in the Andes and have neglected to wash, you’re going to make the flight a living hell for your fellow passengers (and flight crew) on board.

8 “We Can’t Control The Fog Any More Than You Can”

Flights get delayed and canceled for a lot of reasons, but the most common one is usually due to poor weather conditions like fog. As inconvenient as a delayed flight may be to most passengers, we’d be pretty quick to accept that flying in poor visibility isn’t an option...at least most of us accept it.

The same people who blame airport staff for flight cancellations may also be the ones who go one further by blaming airport crew for the weather. That’s right, the kinds of travelers who actually think airport workers are somehow in control of nature. An airline customer service agent told Business Insider that an irate traveler told her that planes had the technology to control fog. Um, what?

7 “I’m Not Your Waitress/Babysitter/Servant”

Airport crew and flight attendants are there to serve passengers up to a point, but their service shouldn’t be pushed beyond the limits. In the same way, you wouldn’t ask a stranger for more than three flavors in a row or treat a grocery store clerk like a human trolley, travelers should probably realize that treating cabin and airport staff like any of the above is not cool.

It’s common courtesy not to leave food crumbs and packets littered all over the terminal, for example, or to leave your screaming infant in the hands of your gate agent while you rummage around for your boarding pass. Less considerate travelers will have staff members wanting to spit these words through gritted teeth.

6 “Please Don’t Turn Up To The Gate TOO Early”

Passengers who turn up late for their flight are annoying and stressful for staff at the gate, but the opposite can be equally troublesome for everyone involved. While it's always good to be proactive and organized, arriving at the gate long before you need to board just gets in the way of passengers exiting the plane and makes things pretty difficult for staff members.

Gate employees may be struggling to find a happy medium between politely asking over-eager passengers to move aside and yelling at them to “get lost!” for another half hour. Air travel isn't easy, but it works best if everyone works together. Boarding announcements are there for a reason.

5 “It’s Not All About You, Sir/Madam”

No matter how bad someone’s day might be going at the airport, there is always going to be someone facing a worse time than them. Delayed flights and unexpected gate number changes can be irritating, but it’s not the end of the world, and for airport employees dealing with rude and petty travelers amongst those who may be flying out in sad circumstances, no-one would blame staff members for wanting to shame certain passengers into perspective.

The majority of air travelers are usually well aware of what can go wrong at the airport and accept it as part of the process, but for certain ‘diva’ passengers, an airport screw-up is a disgrace and something to be complained about till they’re blue in the face. To these people, staff members probably have a few choice words in mind.

4 “Don’t Tell Jokes And You Might Get To Fly”

We’re pretty sure jokes have never gone down well at an airport or ever considered to be funny, but in a post 9/11 world, even the faintest mention of the B-word at the airport is a pretty good way to get yourself hauled into the J-word.

Case in point: in April of this year, the NFL star Trevor Davis was charged with making a false b-word threat at LAX when he responded flippantly to a staff member’s question about knives or explosives on his person. Davis reportedly said “Yes” before turning to his traveling companion and asking: “Did you pack the explosives?”. Nobody laughed. Go figure.

3 “Learn The Hand Luggage Requirements Beforehand”

Airport workers might have sympathy for first time flyers when it comes to confusion about hand luggage regulations, but whether you’re a seasoned traveler or have never flown before, the guides about what you can and can’t take with you in your carry-on luggage can be researched in seconds, so there’s really no excuse to be unprepared in this day and age.

It should be obvious that carrying items like lighters or a nail file in your handbag will mean a long stop and search (and eventual confiscation) of these kinds of items and airport security staff don’t enjoy repeating the process more often than necessary. Make sure you learn the dos and don’ts of hand luggage contents well in advance.

Once travelers leave their flight exhausted, jet-lagged and wanting nothing more than to crash on their hotel bed, they first need to grab their suitcases at baggage claim. What should be a simple, mundane affair can quickly turn into a game of Pac-Man when dealing with those known as the ‘carousel hoggers'.

There is only so much space for travelers to stand around the slow-moving luggage carousel, so when a large family or group of school-kids on a class trip are standing in the way, chaos can ensue as every passenger tries frantically to claim their own luggage. For the sake of staff and tired fellow passengers, do the decent thing and stand back.

1 “Keep Getting Mad At Us If You Want To Be Locked Up”

Tensions can run high in airports and everyone will agree that flying can be stressful, but this doesn’t give angry passengers the right to turn their protests and yells into unacceptable behavior. Passengers who have had a flight delayed or canceled might think their grievance warrants throwing a few insults at a staff member, but if they persist, it won’t be a hotel bed they’ll be sleeping in until the next flight.

Irate travelers and passengers may not realize it, but both physical assault and persistent, credible verbal threats can result in an arrest and fine of up to $250,000 and in some cases, facing up to 10 years behind bars. Venting a temporary frustration could cost you big time.

Sources: stuff.co.nz, businessinsider.com, lifehacker.com, dailymail.co.uk