To all those thinking the term "aisle lice" literally means the lice in one's head, thankfully you're wrong!
This term actually involves passengers, who are the "lice". So what exactly are we talking about?
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Picture this: you're on a plane, tired after all the security and check-in processes. Finally, you hear the pilot announcing landing. You take a deep breath as the plane is now on the taxiway, making its way to the terminal. While you have been thinking about all the good things you plan to do at your awaited destination, suddenly your co-passengers get up from their seats and begin to reach towards the overhead compartments.
If this has happened with you, congratulations! You've likely encountered what travelers now call "aisle lice".
What are aisle lice?
Aisle lice disrupt the orderly manner in which passengers get off the plane by moving ahead of other passengers. The term "aisle lice" refers to any passengers who immediately leave their seats and push their way forward whenever the seat belt light goes off, in an excessive scramble to be the first passengers out.
The nickname itself is fun yet pointed for passengers who try to make their way to the exit as soon as the plane touches down and before the announcement for their row has even been made.
While some passengers claim they are stretching their legs, others argue that they are in a rush. However, in the midst of all this, it is the fellow passengers who suffer the most as this "impatience" slows everyone down.
While this behavior has long existed, it has grasped people's attention with travelers sharing such incidents online.
'Aisle lice behaviour can backfire'
According to a Times of India report, crew members say that this behavior can backfire. Blocking the aisle rarely helps anyone get off the plane faster; it rather delays people who are genuinely running late.
The Times of India report quoted American flight attendant Cecily Anderson as saying, "It's not just annoying, but it also slows everything down, making them even less likely to get what they want. We have rules about deplaning for a reason."
Another flight attendant on an international carrier, Angela McMurray, was quoted as saying, "It's fine to stand up if you need to stretch a little bit, but try and stay in your seated area."
In an advice to passengers, she asks passengers to use the waiting time wisely by gathering their belongings and checking seat pockets before it's time to move.
Are there any fines involved?
Concern over aisle lice behavior has grown overtime with some authorities stepping in. To improve aircraft safety and passenger comfort, the authority in aviation in Turkey as of 2025 began fining airplane passengers for being up early and crowding the aisles when landing.
As reported by the New York Post, passengers who are caught doing this can expect a $70 fine.
