Dear Urban Diplomat: Can I jump the queue to deplane faster?

I travel often for work, and when I get off a plane, I usually rush out since I just have a small carry-on. Recently, coming back from a vacation in Mexico, the plane landed at Pearson and, as usual, I stood up and waited in the aisle a few rows ahead. A mom with three preschoolers then yelled at me, “You’re gonna cut in front of a baby?” Am I a horrible person for wanting to blast past families that are bound to take forever to schlep their kids off the aircraft?

—Fight and Flight, West Queen West

Human beings weren’t designed to spend hours sardined in metal tubes, so I understand the instinct to dash. But imagine how much more exhausting the rigmarole of flying is with three toddlers in tow. By jamming yourself in the aisle, you’re making it harder for them—and other passengers—to grab their own carry-on luggage, slowing down the process for everyone to save yourself, what, 10 minutes? If the parents in front of you are juggling baby bottles, be a freaking mensch, why don’t you, and offer to grab their overhead luggage. More often than not, they’ll let you pass anyway.

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