Is It Rude Not To Pick Someone Up From The Airport? Southerners Have Thoughts

Southerners, perhaps more so than anyone else, are no strangers to going above and beyond to be polite to others—loved ones and strangers alike. Whether it’s attending a party even when you don’t want to or always offering to “bring something” wherever you go, you might call us hyper-sensitive to being polite, as well as noticing when others are not. (Even if we would never point it out.) This also goes for when offering to pick someone up from the airport, which comes up year-round but particularly around the holidays, leading to the debate if it is considered rude to let people fend for themselves with ride-share apps and taxis. 

While certainly not contained only to the holiday season, it does happen to come up more frequently in November and December as family is meeting up for holiday celebrations, friends are making yearly appearances, and long-awaited vacations are kicking off. Which brings us to the ultimate question: Are you obligated to pick someone up at the airport? The answer can be slightly more complicated—and controversial—than you might think, and Southerners tend to fall more decidedly on one side of the matter. Perhaps it can be considered old-fashioned, such as giving casseroles to new neighbors and making small talk at the grocery store. However, not everyone feels the same way. 

Here is why most Southerners might consider it rude not to pick someone up from the airport, and why some people disagree, even in the South. 

Is It a Regional Thing? 

Firstly, we cannot ignore the obvious. Southern folks are big on things like hospitality, hosting, small talk, and all kinds of general social graces. That doesn’t necessarily translate to other regions quite as forthright, which certainly can affect whether or not you can expect to be picked up from the airport.

Moreover, many Southerners don’t see it as an inconvenience to swing by the airport, especially those who live in small towns. In fact—and it won’t be surprising to those who hail from the South—it might actually bring a sense of self-satisfaction and happiness to the host for doing the favor. In the South, you can easily expect an early morning or midnight pickup, just as a show of affection and gratitude for traveling to their “neck of the woods.”

Is It a Generational Thing?

Offering to pick someone up from the airport seems to have become less and less expected in more recent years, which can potentially be attributed to the younger generation who doesn’t necessarily see it as ill-mannered for a family member or friend to simply grab a ride-share or taxi to or from the airport. This goes particularly if the airport is a far drive away. On the other hand, older generations, such as parents and grandparents, tend to always offer and expect it from others in return.

It also goes without saying that, when the roles are reversed, it should always be expected to help your elders, such as your parents and grandparents, get to and from the airport as a show of respect. At least, that is what most Southerners would attest. Additionally, if someone has done the same favor for you in the past, it might be considered a good-willed transaction, no matter your age.

Is It an Etiquette Thing?

In short, this can largely be defined as a matter of etiquette. Just as some etiquette nuances seem to be fading a bit as time goes on, this nicety is no different. Many people, in the South especially, might see it as outright rude not to offer, and others might see it as rude to ask or expect. While picking someone up from the airport might not always be realistic, with busy schedules and traffic, it is important to remember that if someone is traveling to visit you, it costs time and money, making it potentially disheartening not to receive an offer to be picked up from or dropped off at the airport.

Sure, the people that you love most will likely understand if you cannot, but it is the effort that always counts. You’ll never feel badly for offering!