Don’t be the first one off the plane in Lagos

In a story coming from Siphoning off a Few Thoughts came the following story:  “[A man] got on a flight in Lagos to find it completely full…plus one. One person was standing in the aisle with no seat. The flight attendants went through and checked that everyone had a boarding pass, which they did. (Apparently someone had a forged pass; welcome to Lagos.) The staff then made an announcement that everyone was going to de-plane and that they were going to check everyone’s boarding pass carefully.

“As soon as the first person stepped off the plane, the staff slammed and locked the airplane door, despite the person’s cries and banging on the door. Problem solved.”

So make sure you board early if you’re going through Lagos and never be the first to leave the plane.

The Cost of Performing Rest

The Cost of Performing Rest

Modern systems have turned rest into something we perform rather than something that restores us. This essay explores why holidays often fail to renew people, how work and the holiday industry reinforce the problem, and what real restoration actually requires.

The New Luxury Signal: Emotional Stability

The New Luxury Signal: Emotional Stability

Luxury resorts used to sell status and spectacle. Now they sell something quieter: relief. Guests arrive overloaded, and the best resorts are redesigning around sensory calm, reduced friction, and emotional steadiness. Modern luxury is less about what you add, and more about what you remove.

When You Can’t Leave: Designing for the Flight Reflex in Airports, Venues, and Hospitals

When You Can’t Leave: Designing for the Flight Reflex in Airports, Venues, and Hospitals

In high-stimulus public spaces, our bodies do more than react – they strategise.
Airports, hospitals, and stadiums all evoke subtle “Flight” responses: scanning, pacing, early exits.
Understanding how threat appraisal drives behaviour can help architects and planners design calmer spaces – and reveal why relaxation, not excitement, predicts dwell, spend, and satisfaction.