Packing your liquids, there are never any bags, or any staff who might direct you to some, you have to take off your shoes for reasons apparently, and then the bathrooms. Piss everywhere, no locks on any doors, sinks full of snot from people blowing their nose, broken soap dispenser, and piddly little tap so short you have to touch the filthy bowl to get a dribble on yours hands. Then the self checkout starts SCREAMING at you, SCAN ITEM TO BEGIN TRANSACTION. Fuck you, leave me alone. Don't get me started on the crowding.
All of the above applies to every form of public transport.
Edit: I had forgotten that once you are on the plane they spend the first hour screaming at you with announcements at max volume.
And the level of tension around everything thanks to post 9/11 security theater.
I always fall into the "I better not look suspicious" > (acts very suspicious because I'm nervous about acting suspicious) anxiety loop
I haven't been in an airport in a few years, and I'm pretty white passing so I guess my experience with TSA is obviously not everyone else's, but the thing that works for me is thinking "these clowns have probably never had a real problem in their entire careers, this is all a theater, just get the boring mundane stuff out of the way." It can be hard to keep your cool once you start spiraling due to all the sensory stuff though, I get that.
Thank you! Yeah I usually start out that way, until I do one thing and start over-analyzing it.
TSA are all power-tripping assholes, fuck them, amen on the bathrooms too
But my hyperfocus since I was a kid was in aviation, so now I'm at an airport basically half of my waking hours. But I love my job (the button pushing part, not the employer part) - so it's very contradictory.
Agreed. There's a reason that many people who normally wouldn't take drugs will get a benzo or an ambien to sleep through the flight. I also see a lot of people who don't normally drink drinking before a flight. All the people I've met that fit in this category are either undiagnosed but probably neurodivergent, or diagnosed and unmedicated. Even straight edge people pull out CBD for it. I don't mean to diss people being medicated or medication, I don't think there's anything wrong with it and that's not what I'm saying. But isn't it kinda sad that there are a lot of major places in life that are borderline inaccessible without drugs? Airports are probably the worst one because of the power tripping rent-a-cops making life a living hell, but what about school? Or the horrible sounds and total mind fuckery of a parking garage? Especially airport parking garages So much of the world is built without regard or with spite towards us, and we're expected to drug the fuck up and be fine with it. How much of modern medicine is about medicating us and how much is about making us less annoying? Sometimes it feels as if medication is a "compromise" from the ruling class where they're not willing to make things more accessible for us, but are willing to sell us drugs that make it alright, normally for absurd prices. I know I need meds, but I honestly don't think my psychosis would have ever gotten bad enough to warrant the meds if it weren't for the stress of capitalism and the places we're forced to go to function.
God bless a good grocery store though. Walmarts are hellish. Full markets usually have better food, but are difficult sensory experiences. But grocery stores are just such pleasant neurodivergent places. Most things are sealed so there's no overwhelming scents. Just rows and rows of boxes in lines. Aldi on a slow day is probably my favorite for vibin out. It's the smallest grocery store, so it's really hard to get lost, and they're the cheapest option for a lot of household staples. Simple packaging that doesn't strain my eyes, but with a few interesting packages to give a touch of variety to the look of their shelves. They also have an aisle of random shit that's usually too expensive to be worth buying, but really great to stim on in the cart while walking around. My favorite thing to do is go there on edibles and buy nothing but just look at all the shit lol
Aldi on a slow day is probably my favorite for vibin out. It's the smallest grocery store, so it's really hard to get lost
Not sure if your aldi is similar, but the one I go to is the only supermarket in a five k radius which doesn't blast constant music and ads over the PA system.
Yeah, no PA at the one I live by, they just have walkietalkies. It's generally the best grocery store for a multitude of reasons. Prices are better, there isn't a stupid amount of choices for the same goddamn thing, it doesn't make you feel like you're in a real life mobile game.
in the UK aldi and lidl are great until you get to the checkout and then you are in an entirely new world of hell surrounded entirely by people who do not know how to keep their personal space
it must be something about the till, this only happens there, and not in the other supermarkets
A neat little fun fact, if you're flying in a private plane you don't need to deal with any of that. Have you considered having rich parents?
🦾 I have not been in an airport in like 5-7 years 🛩️💥🥊 you can't make me ⛔️✋🚫 I will not get in the pod 💊♻️💉🫘🫛
Also being in one room filled to the maximum with living breathing humans while being shoulder to shoulder w contact w two more is hell on earth. My autistic introverted ass was NOT meant to be in the human tube
I haven't flown in almost a decade
Nothing can compel me to board an airplane again
My dad said “airports are sanitary of life” and it was one of his best lines
Uhhg, I'm not particularly sensory sensitive but holy hell do I hate airports and flying now. Noise cancelling headphones are a miracle of the modern age.
