Every Airport Should Have These

Everyone touts the benefits of traveling - experiencing new places, new cultures, new food, new ways of doing things - and of course the personal growth one experiences as they are forced to define themselves and re-examine their perspectives. 

But for many, that type of travel is intimidating and packaged tours are so much simpler and 'safer.' Guests are chaperoned from plane to car to hotel to tourist sites. They're provided all the comforts of home - food, language, entertainment, lodging - but in a different, prettier location. And they're given opportunities to 'interact' with local wildlife or attend a 'local cultural event'.  And for many people, just this is a HUGE step outside their comfort zone - which is a good thing. 

For most people, on a day to day basis, they only encounter and interact with people of like mind and general opinion. Most people surround themselves with people they have something in common with - field of work, religion, community, athletic affiliation, political opinion, etc. Rarely to we intentionally engage with someone 'different' than us. (I mean in person - I'm intentionally excluding the argument trolls on the internet.)

Yet on an airplane, we find ourselves in the closet proximity to a group of people most different from ourselves than we would on an average day. It's an amazing opportunity to let your mind 'travel.' 

The experiment below was done in a city, but I think that airports should follow their lead and add one of these to every concourse. People have LOTS of time in airports and something as simple as this would easily make everyone stop and smile. That alone would make air travel more pleasant!

But also, it would give people a chance to SEE other travelers as people, not just as 'that big oaf in my way!'  Much like a play area will entertain children and give their parents a moment of peace; or an unoccupied sofa instantly quickens one's step; or a charging station reduces everyone's personal space;  or sitting on a delayed plane not at the gate or in line for take off gets everyone talking to each other - ball pits with conversation starters could easily put some humanity back into air travel.