“I'm late for my flight” actually means “late for the lounge”

When “I’m getting late for the #flight” actually means “My #lounge entry is getting delayed”
Recently, while boarding a flight at #Bengaluru #Airport, I was standing in the security check-in queue when the familiar request came up, “Sir, I’m getting late, can I please go ahead?”

Most of us understand that delays happen. Traffic, last-minute gate changes, misjudged cab timings; genuine cases exist, and people usually accommodate without fuss.

But what followed was… educational.
The same gentleman who rushed past multiple passengers at security was later found calmly waiting outside the 080 Lounge, flashing his Amex Platinum #CreditCard! Clearly, the emergency had miraculously transformed into leisure.
When confronted, excuses followed. When others he had bypassed also spoke up, the urgency vanished and so did he!

Now here’s the uncomfortable part.
Incidents like these plant a doubt. The next time someone genuinely requests to move ahead, maybe someone actually cutting it close, there’s a pause in the mind:
“Is this real… or another lounge-speedrun?”
That hesitation hurts genuine cases the most.