It's not one specific airport, and really, it's not even about the airport itself. It's about the people there, all schlepping through the terminals with their rolling suitcases and U-shaped neck pillows. It's a phenomenon some people have taken to social media to unpack β the sudden realization that the person across from you in the boarding area, who happens to be about your age, is exceedingly and undeniably sexy.
Young TikTokers have begun posting videos theorizing that the airport, a place that's simultaneously drab yet buzzing with energy, somehow makes other travelers seem irresistible. It's the same thing when you're at the airport β you've got your 'airport goggles' on. To an extent, experts say, the development of an airport crush comes down to a few things: proximity, similarity, and mystery.
It's easy to find someone to be attracted to when you're stuck in a terminal with a relatively finite number of people. Plus, there's the added bonus of already having something in common: Whether you're traveling for vacation, work, or something different altogether, you're both, well, traveling.
As humans, our initial attraction to others is typically based on physical similarities with other people, said Beverly Palmer, professor emeritus of psychology at California State University, Dominguez Hills.
Palmer, who wrote "Love Demystified: Strategies for a Successful Love Life," held that attraction is largely based on physical similarities. And despite having built-in commonalities, there's an innate sense of mystery with an airport crush. You can let your imagination run wild β is this person going to the same place as you? Are they unfathomably wealthy, and going to invite you to their cabin upstate, where you'll fall in love and one day raise a family?
