It’s funny when certain traits go viral and we can all have a good laugh. Pointing out how mums act when they meet up and that sort of thing. But, I am sad to report, TikTok is coming for us now dads. Yes, the latest figure of fun on the video sharing platform is the Airport Dad.
Essentially, the pitch is that there is something about airports that turn regular, mild-mannered fathers in to SAS-commander-style entities, planning and re-planning with intensity and barking out orders like they’re leading an assault on an enemy base. Rather than simply getting the family to the gate in time to queue for half an hour to get on the actual plane.
There are now hundreds of TikTok videos detailing the quirks of Airport Dad, and I thought I’d share some here to see if you are, after all, an Airport Dad.
Are you an Airport Dad? Here are the traits
The taxi wait
Airport Dad mode is activated before you arrive to catch your flight. Are you even a dad if you’re not pacing up and down the street in the early hours, arms folded and luggage lined up on the pavement, waiting for the taxi. And woe betide that taxi is even a minute late. This does not sit with his plans. He needs to be in control of getting to the airport with hours to spare.
@louisantoinehabre Dads are built different…#dadmodeactivated #dad #airport #holiday #foryou #fyp ♬ The Home Depot Beat – The Home Depot
The document holder
No one votes Airport Dad to be the document holder. He assumes the role of his own accord. If he does not have control of the passports and boarding passes at all times, he cannot ensure the mission runs smoothly. No one else is responsible enough. At times, Airport Dad may place the documents in a bag, but then he must by law check those documents at least 300 times before the gate appears on the screen.
Gate finder
Airport Dad has the power to have one eye on the family, one on the documents and another on the screens. No one knows how this is possible. As soon as it flicks from ‘Please Wait’ to ‘Gate Open’, he springs to life. No matter what everyone else is doing, they must jump to it and follow him as he sprints across the airport to the gate.
@hannahcwinn✨Airport dad✨ on the way to Italy♬ The Home Depot Beat – The Home Depot
Like a model hare whizzing around the tracks as greyhounds follow, Airport Dad has no other thoughts in his minds as he hunts down the gate. The rest of the family should probably have put in some training in the weeks ahead of the trip to be able to keep up.
Underlying rage
It is not because he loves the airport that Airport Dad behaves the way he does. He hates everything about it. He hates the waiting, he hates the fiddly tech that doesn’t always work properly and he detests the queuing. But above all, he detests when things don’t happen on time. And nothing happens on time. This is why dad often looks a dark shade of puce until three days into the holiday.
@ginalawrence84 Airport dad : Activated ✈️ #airport #airportdad #airportdads #dadsoftiktok #airportdadmode #fyp ♬ The Home Depot Beat – The Home Depot
