doorway, or navigate a busy boarding area.
Someone might briefly touch a nearby surface for balance, avoid bumping into another person, or steady themselves while changing direction.
From a distance, that ordinary movement can look deliberate.
The setting can also affect what you see. Boarding stairs and aircraft access equipment differ between airports, and passengers may move close to the aircraft while following staff instructions.
So before assuming that someone is performing a ritual, consider the possibility that the contact is entirely incidental.
A quick touch doesn’t always tell us
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