12.08.10 [Op-Ed] Airports are not Concert Venues

On July 26th, B2ST went through an airport in Malaysia on their way back to Korea. Crowded by fans and security, Yoseob tripped and dropped his luggage, reportedly injuring his leg and elbow. Soon after, he posted on Twitter, taking the blame for the incident and even apologizing to fans who fell from getting pushed by other fans.

Do these fancams make you uncomfortable? Imagine being in center of the mob and how much more uncomfortable that would be.  Airports are not concert venues, they are public spaces that serve a specific function, and that function is not fan-service. While it’s somewhat customary to greet idols or see them off at the airport, things can get out of control when crowds get too big or too rowdy. I think the blame can be split two ways- it’s partially the fault of the fans, partially the fault of the idols’ companies.

Can you imagine what would have happened if Yoseob had dropped his luggage without the protection of security to guard him while he pulled himself together?

While many fans feel protective of their idols, no fan should have to put themselves in danger for idols. Some other pictures and videos from the same day showed that the protective fans’ efforts didn’t solve the problem- the band was still crowded and hassled in other parts of the airport. Companies need to take precautions to keep everyone- idols, fans, and other people in the airport- safe.

I can’t talk directly to the companies, but I can talk to my fellow fans. So, this is what I have to say:

We need to calm down.

I’m sure it’s exciting to see your favorite idol in person, but they are not at the airport to entertain you. There’s a reason most of the big stars don’t look at nor interact with fans in the airport- they don’t want to encourage more people to hassle them. They’re not getting paid for their time in the airport, so they shouldn’t be expected to entertain us. Can you imagine if people just ran up to you when you were off work and started demanding you do your job for them right at that moment for free? That’s essentially what fans are doing in the airport.

Personally, I’d encourage some of you to stay home from the airport- your idols won’t miss you. I know that when I travel, I’m certainly not in the mood to wave and smile at screaming strangers- I just want to find my gate and get where I’m going. If you really want to see your idols, go to official events such as signings, concerts, fan meets. These are all events where they’re actually getting paid to entertain you and you’re not invading their personal space.

I realize that some of you will still want to go see your idols at the airport. And obviously the companies also want the idols to be seen at the airport- otherwise they would do like Big Bang and send the idols through alternative routes away from fans. For those of you who still plan on greeting your idols at the airport, allow me to post a few guidelines, which should help toward keeping everyone safe and happy- or at least, not miserable.

1. Your safety comes first! This may sound selfish, but you don’t want to get trampled. If the crowd seems too big or too rowdy, go home and get out the way.  You won’t be able to see your idols through a huge crowd- and if you do seem them, they’ll look miserable while getting shoved around. If you get close enough for your idol to see or remember you, they’re going to associate your face with having their personal space invaded and having a generally crappy day- is that how you want to be remembered? On a related note, remember that you are not security personnel and should not have to be a body guard for your idols. Your efforts to protect them against a large crowd won’t accomplish anything, and you could get hurt in the process. Since idols apologize for every bad thing that happens around them, you can bet your idols are going to feel personally responsible if you or anyone else get hurt.
2. Don’t hand idols gifts. A carry-on is enough of a pain to deal with in a busy airport and they probably don’t want to be weighed down by more stuff. Even if they don’t have a carry on, they probably don’t want to get stuck carrying stuff around with them- even a card or a note can be annoying to deal with. If you hand them a bag, box, or envelope, they won’t know what’s inside, which makes going through security even more stressful. If you want to give them gifts, go to a signing or fan meeting, or mail the gifts to them.
3. No flash photography. Camera flashes are disorienting and can trigger headaches and migraines (or worse), especially when there’s lots of them coming from all sides at a close range and the person being photographed is already tired. If you must take photos, turn off the flash. Chances are, the press will have better high quality photos online within a day or so anyway, so there’s no real reason to worry about getting good pictures.
4. No touching! You wouldn’t want a stranger touching you without permission- likewise, your idols don’t want you (a stranger) to touch them. Getting touched by a strangers is, at best, creepy and gross but it can also be scary or humiliating. If you want to touch your idols, go to a handshake or hug event.
5. Don’t ask for autographs (or photos, or hugs, etc). The idols have to get from point A to point B in a set amount of time, and they don’t have time to stop and do stuff for you. I doubt that they want to ignore or turn down their fans. By asking them to do stuff for you, you are putting them in a position where they have to turn you down. It’s annoying at the very least, but it can also make them feel bad for not being able to do something for you.
6. If you really feel it’s necessary, cheering and holding signs is okay. Just don’t get carried away. There are a lot of other people in the airport trying to go about their own business- noisy fans taking up lots of space and ignoring the people around them make things that much more difficult. If you’re holding up a sign, try not to block the views of people standing behind you. If someone’s trying to get through the crowd, let them through. Don’t flail, you might hurt someone. Don’t scream, it’s obnoxious, and can be painful for those around you. Common courtesy, folks.

Bad behavior in airports can result in injuries to the idols, fans, and innocent bystanders who just happen to be in the airport at the time. Like Seungri said, it could even lead to cancelled events. I know you’re excited, but think about how your actions affect people and don’t contribute to the problem.

There are going to be other fans at the airport who probably mean well, but do things they shouldn’t. Don’t let them get to you; just keep being awesome and civil and not making your idols’ lives miserable. If we actually care about the idols, then we need to respect their personal space and try not to burden them. If we’re causing unnecessary trouble for our idols, how are we any better than anti-fans?

cr: allkpop