The etiquette of queues

Salu · 19-12-2005, 15:47

A strange social custom....

We Brits generally take our queues seriously making sure we conform to the unwritten "rules" and are most indignant when others do not follow them....

I was in a queue today and one chap was in front of me. His mate spotted him from the back of the queue and came up to him. The chap said "Hi Bob, you can go behind me if you like...ha ha ha", letting him in but not being overly generous of course....I thought nothing of it.

However the lady behind this man now had another person in front of her and she didn't like this one bit. She laid into them giving a tirade of abuse. She eventually was silenced when the chap who was in front originally said "But it doesn't matter whether he is in front of me or behind me, he is still in front of YOU!"...he then let his mate go in front of him.

For a split second I thought I was in the dinner queue of my primary school again.....

**Chris** · 19-12-2005, 15:57

Ah the primary school dinner queue, I remember it well. Mainly because, by being a school librarian, I had a pass to jump the queue and go straight in.

It's an interesting point about the queue you were in though. Letting someone in behind you is a bit like being generous with other people's money. It looks like you're being generous but you're not. You don't get to the front of the queue any slower, but everyone else does.

Alton Towers has large signs next to its ride queues which say, "No queue jumping, and this is what we mean by 'queue jumping':" The definition includes your mates 'letting you in'. I was at Alton Towers a few years ago anda bunch of Chavs (although in the days before they were so called!) were trying to jump about 10 minutes worth of the queue by joining their mates. I had had a very long day and just decided 'oh what the hey' and gave them a right earful. They slunk back to their places (one of them even apologised) and I got a round of applause ...

Salu · 20-12-2005, 11:40

Good on you. We let yobs get away with far too much these days.

(Oh dear, I sound like my dad...)

Angua · 20-12-2005, 12:03

I said to one of my children once "we are British, we queue" loudly enough that nearby foreigners heard.

**Chris** · 20-12-2005, 12:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by Angua

I said to one of my children once "we are British, we queue" loudly enough that nearby foreigners heard.

Too right. I find the passport control queues at many foreign airports to be some of the most frustrating places on earth. I wonder how waiting in line came to be such a national trait of the British, and more to the point how we're starting to lose it.

**Graham M** · 20-12-2005, 16:22

I work in a shop and im forever having to suggest to the foreginers that come in "The Queue starts over there"

**Chris** · 20-12-2005, 16:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zeph

I work in a shop and im forever having to suggest to the foreginers that come in "The Queue starts over there"

I'm curious, what sort of reaction do you generally get?

**Graham M** · 20-12-2005, 16:25

Either a blank look because they don't speak English or "Oh Sorry" or just a grunt as they walk to the end

**Chris** · 20-12-2005, 16:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zeph

Either a blank look because they don't speak English or "Oh Sorry" or just a grunt as they walk to the end

I was wondering because I'm never sure whether they're being deliberately rude or genuinely confused by a uniquely British custom.

Come to think of it, east Europeans must be good queuers too, what with them having endured the Soviet era and all its shortages. Is it in fact just our Latinate neighbours that have this problem?

danielf · 20-12-2005, 16:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris T

I was wondering because I'm never sure whether they're being deliberately rude or genuinely confused by a uniquely British custom.

Come to think of it, east Europeans must be good queuers too, what with them having endured the Soviet era and all its shortages. Is it in fact just our Latinate neighbours that have this problem?

Having just been to China, I can assure you it is not just the Latinates

**Graham M** · 20-12-2005, 16:32

Germans seem to be the worst for queueing, not sure why

marky · 20-12-2005, 17:09

If i have a full shopping trolley and i see someone with a couple of things, i normally let them be served first,

But queue jumping is a pet hate of mine, especialy when at the bar in a pub, waiting to be served and they serve a person first that just walked up

**Damien** · 20-12-2005, 17:30

No, The French are the WORST when it comes to queuing

Escapee · 20-12-2005, 17:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by marky

If i have a full shopping trolley and i see someone with a couple of things, i normally let them be served first,

But queue jumping is a pet hate of mine, especialy when at the bar in a pub, waiting to be served and they serve a person first that just walked up

That also annoys me, and is the reason why I dont like drinking in the bar type places. The que is often caused because there are half a dozen behind the bar and at least four of them are trying to look busy without actualy serving anyone.

I get my own back when I walk in my local, my bottle is out of the fridge and on the bar by the time I turn around after putting my coat on the peg. I do feel awkward when there are people waiting at the bar before I got in the place.

marky · 20-12-2005, 17:32

Aaaaaaaahhhh, your the one