Falsely accused of queue jumping

[HyacinthsHydrangeas]

A number of people in front of me to collect prescriptions today. Three year-old DS and I took our spot in the queue, which was not very orderly (the arrangement of the shop makes it difficult to form a clear single line if more than two people are waiting). Watched four or five people arrive after me.

When I was about to be next in line, a woman accused me of jumping the queue! She said "There's actually a long line here. I'm not sure where you came from, but we've been waiting a long time." I said "I'm not certain if I was before or after you, but I know I watched the person right behind you walk in!" She then made a HUGE show of being "gracious" enough to "let" me go first (this included asking everyone behind her in line if they minded if I went first).

I know it's unreasonable but I was SO mad!!! I recognize that it is mainly the fault of the shop for not creating a clear place to wait, but the fact that she came off looking like she was doing me a favor really grinds my gears.

Please tell me your stories of false accusation to help fuel my righteous indignation.

I was a school Governor and was accused by the chair of telling my dc confidential info from the meeting (who would be DD’s teacher the following year before it was announced). There’s a two class per year in take and they hadn’t actually specified which teacher was teaching each class so I genuinely didn’t know to be able to tell dd. Dd did tell the class she knew who her teacher was - the new one here class had interviewed (she made an educated guess not based on anything I’d said). Chair was adamant I must have accidentally let slip (the info that A. I didn’t bloody know and B. Wasn’t actually even true as Dd got the other teacher). Still annoyed that she refused to believe me and just kept saying “you must remember, little ears hear everything”… not if you don’t say it they don’t!

I was very young and it was in the 1980’s when what the boss, usually male, said goes
Still grated on me 35 yrs later!

@Twospaniels it’s always a kick in the gut when I see in black & white that the 80’s isn’t just 20 years ago!

Don't get me started on when a new till opens up and people from the back of the queue join it first! The second-in-line ppl are clearly those who have been waiting longest and should by rights go first to the new till!

Literally yesterday I had an altercation at the airport queuing to get food. Was in the queue, 3/4 people in front of me, no one behind me. While I was waiting I literally moved less than 1 metre to the left to get a packet of crisps to add to the stuff I was already holding and moved back. Bloke behind me started kicking off that I’d ‘jumped the queue’.
I smiled sweetly and said, ‘I really don’t think I have, but it clearly means a lot to you, so please go in front of me’.
Cock.
And yes, I probably did ‘technically’ leave the queue, but seriously?!! Get a grip mate.

Oh my god I've just remembered one, not queue related! When I was in my early twenties I was doing a degree. One of the lecturers was a bald, paunchy middle aged chap. We were a fairly small cohort of mainly mature students, I was probably the youngest.

Anyway, some joker decided to send Mr Paunchy a valentines card. The first I knew about it was him calling me into his office and asking me if I'd written it, I genuinely think he'd convinced himself it was my handwriting. All blew completely out of proportion and IIRC he actually left his lecturing post and went to a different university - I don't think he was ever convinced it wasn't me and I was gobsmacked by the whole thing!

I was very heavily pregnant after two very difficult and distressing previous pregnancies. I wasn't able to get anywhere very fast, and we were in Ikea at the end bit that's like the big warehouse full of shelves of flatpack. I had been sitting on a bench waiting for DH to find all the boxes we were collecting but I decided to go and look at one of those screens they have, to try and find one last thing I'd remembered.

I very slowly plodded my way over to the screen and just as I reached it, a girl came running over, from sort of off to one side and behind me, and banged right into me and the screen. She got there a few seconds after me. She didn't say a word, just ran off again.

The next thing this man and woman came over accusing me of pushing their daughter out of the way.

As I said, I was enormous, emotional, and having lost two previous pregnancies I was really sensitive and on edge about anything going wrong with this one. I felt really intimidated by them and was really upset. I told them their daughter had actually run up behind me and banged into me just as I reached the screen, but the three of them were just really close to me and I walked away and let them have the bloody screen.

It's been years, I'm still indignant when I remember it

A couple of days later in the supermarket a man and woman joined the queue I was in at the supermarket, but they joined in the middle because we had had to stand back a bit to let people get through as the queue was blocking an aisle. I said "Excuse me, but this isn't the end of the queue" and the man just kicked off and shouted "Isn't it, isn't it!? Well I'll just fuck off then shall I?" and off he fucked, right to the opposite end of the supermarket. His very embarrassed wife trailing after him. So at least that interaction went well

I was in my accounts job a few months and was visiting another office. I noticed the manager had a pile of cheques in his drawer that he should have sent out months before. I pointed them out to him, and he said he'd sort it out.
Following week, the CEO comes down to my desk with that manager, and the cheques, to ask me why I'd been keeping them hidden, and how lucky that the manager had realised. I was gobsmacked...he was blatantly lying, but I knew I was right. We had a bit of a row for a few minutes, and CEO of course, didn't know who to believe....until I said "How could I be holding on to those cheques when they were printed two months before I started here?" The manager went white, got a bollocking and I got an apology.

I have a queue one! 111 made an urgent treatment appointment for my baby, I was told that upon arrival not to join the A&E queue and instead go straight to reception. I felt awkward walking past the queue but did as instructed. The receptionist ignored me for a couple of mins before asking what I was doing. I explained I had an appointment to which she shouted to the rest of the queue does anyone else have an appointment? I don't want to see to this lady first before anyone else that is waiting! I was so embarrassed. They really need a better system so people don't look like queue hoppers! Or a seperate reception for A&E and urgent treatment appointments!

A woman accused me or shoving her on the DLR, when I'd done no such thing. Didn't even touch her, the train had just jolted slightly.

She wouldn't have it, said I'd knocked her newspaper FFS, then with more cheek than a fat ox, started loudly complaining to other passengers who sympathised with her!

Livid. Didn't handle it well and told her I would really push her in a minute. Of course, I then looked the arsehole and was chastised for being aggressive.

@MsChatterbox I had a similar situation with 111 and AE.

The receptionist sat under a large sign discouraging abuse of the desk staff. Prior to speaking to her I wondered what on earth for, following our interaction it was quite clear!

In primary school (year 5) the teacher called me up to the front of the class. She had been told that I had stolen some exercise books and that they were hidden in my bag. I went and got my bag and lo and behold there are indeed 2 books in my bag. Written in one of the books are some swear words. It was obvious that whoever "grassed" on me had planted them and I thought the teacher was being theatrical and playing along and that she would call the grasser-upper kid out. Nope she gets my English work book out and declares the writing a match. When I wouldn't concede she made me stand for nearly 3 hours in silence. At home time she screamed in my face at me to get out. That teacher bullied me for the next 2 years.

@magicstar1

I was in my accounts job a few months and was visiting another office. I noticed the manager had a pile of cheques in his drawer that he should have sent out months before. I pointed them out to him, and he said he'd sort it out. Following week, the CEO comes down to my desk with that manager, and the cheques, to ask me why I'd been keeping them hidden, and how lucky that the manager had realised. I was gobsmacked...he was blatantly lying, but I knew I was right. We had a bit of a row for a few minutes, and CEO of course, didn't know who to believe....until I said "How could I be holding on to those cheques when they were printed two months before I started here?" The manager went white, got a bollocking and I got an apology.

I love that this one involved you essentially being falsely accused of time travel

I'm still bitter about a detention I got in 1990 for doing Physics homework in an English lesson. I protested repeatedly and loudly that I hadn't even taken Physics as an option but she wouldn't listen and my so called 'mate' who was the one doing the homework sat there mute.

I was so incensed I marched to the physics room and told him to have a word because I wouldn't be turning up.

I was in the post office one Christmas. There was an enormous queue for sending parcels, as you might expect at that time of year. I was only there to buy envelopes, so went straight to the window reserved for purchases only, which had no queue at all. One of the customers in the parcel queue began berating me at full volume, replete with righteous indignation and enjoying reprimanding the "young lady" in front of everyone. I know I wasn't in the wrong but I still felt so embarrassed and cross, I think I seethed for the rest of the day!

Mine was the pharmacy staff being difficult.

Arrived to get prescription filled. They said it would be at least 15 minutes, so I said I would grab a coffee and come back.

Arrived back at the pharmacy to find the door locked. Note on the window to say that due to staff shortages, they would be closing between 1-2pm for lunch. Fine. I checked my watch and it was 12:50. I could see a member of staff chatting away to someone inside. I tried for a couple of minutes to get her attention, and eventually knocked the door. She was very sniffy and said they were closed for lunch. I pointed out that it was 12:52 and all I needed to do was collect a prescription that was ready and waiting for me. She was so incredibly rude and huffy that I wanted to actually collect a prescription during their opening hours. Even by the time I left it was still 12:55.

I’ve no problem with pharmacies closing for lunch, but if you say it is between 1 & 2pm, then that’s what I expect it to be.

@magicstar1

I was in my accounts job a few months and was visiting another office. I noticed the manager had a pile of cheques in his drawer that he should have sent out months before. I pointed them out to him, and he said he'd sort it out. Following week, the CEO comes down to my desk with that manager, and the cheques, to ask me why I'd been keeping them hidden, and how lucky that the manager had realised. I was gobsmacked...he was blatantly lying, but I knew I was right. We had a bit of a row for a few minutes, and CEO of course, didn't know who to believe....until I said "How could I be holding on to those cheques when they were printed two months before I started here?" The manager went white, got a bollocking and I got an apology.

That manager should have been sacked. Firstly for lying, and secondly for trying to blame it on someone else.

I had someone queue barge me and several others in boots once while waiting for the self checkouts.

Except when she got there she didn’t know how to work it and turned and asked me for help ?!

I told her I’d probably have started by not queue barging a load of people and left her her to it as a till became available.

Seems to be a theme with Pharmacies.

My local only lets in 3 people at a time, fair enough. But what they do is then keep those three in there until their prescriptions are fulfilled, so counter staff are stood around whilst pharmacist deals with scripts, customer is stood around waiting and queue outside snakes across the car park.
I was collecting, and having stood for almost half an hour I'd had enough, popped my head around the door and shouted the bored counter girl and asked if she could pass me my medication please as I was only collecting. To be fair she looked pleased for something to do. When she came to the door I suggested they might get through the enormous queue quicker if people waiting for scripts stood outside when they had paid etc so others could go in. She seemed amazed at this revelation and then asked the queue who was just waiting to collect.

Not been down lately so I dont know if they did change it but it's part of the reason I went to an online pharmacy.

I didn't mean 'counter girl' in any way disparaging btw before I'm falsely accused of that, poor choice of wording, I meant the lady who runs the counter and passes the scripts to the pharmacist.

One at the GP. Several people queuing at reception. No one using the self check in. I stepped round to use the self check in and a man decided to angrily and loudly announce "There's a queue here!". Oh for the self check in? I thought you were queuing for the receptionist?

He very sheepishly stepped back in line.

At an outdoor market/food stall place last week we had been moved a couple of times by waiting staff as they weren't sure which tables were allocated for us. Friends and I had eaten our food and were enjoying a drink, chatting away.

Along comes a big guy, clearly a fair few drinks in and starts shouting at us to get out of his seats. Friends and I look confused, start explaining politely we've been moved their by staff and perhaps he should check with them. Loud guy adamant that we need to effin move right naaaaaw. His gf starts on at us too, then his mate.

At this point we were trying to catch the attention of a bouncer when a staff member comes over and simply says 'wasn't this your table here sir?' Yes he was sitting on the next table over. He skulked off without a word

I got given detention when I was about 13 for playing noughts and crosses in class. Me and my friend played it at the beginning of the lesson and I left it on my desk. Halfway through the class the teacher shouts at me saying 'how dare you play noughts and crosses in my class!'
I tried to explain that we played it before the lesson started it, he was having none of it and gave me detention.
Feeling wronged, I tried to drop my friend in it too by saying 'well I can't play noughts and crosses by myself can I' didn't work I was still the only one in detention!

Don't get me started on when a new till opens up and people from the back of the queue join it first! The second-in-line ppl are clearly those who have been waiting longest and should by rights go first to the new till!
The last time I was at Aldi the checkout guy called me up as we were second in the line. Some woman tried to barge ahead and he refused to serve her. The manager backed him up. The thing is if there are people behind us with just a few items I always let them go ahead while we load the belt up. Not this time. She was fuming

The one about aldi - in my aldi the people who are second in line have usually unloaded their stuff already but people further back still have their baskets/trolleys.

A hoarder and totally disorganised boss put a bunch of documents from the safe into her desk drawer and locked them away on the morning I waa absent for an emergency hospital trip.

Five days later, she gave me the key to sort them out, where I realised there was an envelope of cash in there that had obviously been caught up with her grabbing the things from the safe. I tried calling finance but there wasn't any answer and then the phone rang again with an urgent query, so I was sitting with the envelope in front of me when the two finance assistants came in.

I smiled and asked 'are you looking for this?' and handed them the envelope, telling them I'd just found it in the box and I'd tried calling but they must have been on their way over at that point.

Two days later, there's a formal written warning in my pigeonhole because I'd 'deliberately kept the money' on my desk for five days without telling them. I was furious and made my feelings absolutely clear. They weren't accusing me of stealing, that was made clear, they were accusing me of spite. Fuck off.

However, my shit boss had told them that it had to be me because she would never do that and I must have picked it up on the day I wasn't in. So they believed her.

Got them back in the end. Discovered a significant financial irregularity where my previously unmentioned job at an accountants had taught me how to record certain things accurately, so was keeping a proper record on the quiet - I 'accidentally' bcc'd in the auditors on the email I sent, completely innocently asking for advice on where I was going wrong as there appeared to be an error on the figures where their record didn't agree with records I'd been keeping - and mine matched with the one recorded in the yellow book we countersigned with Finance when anything goes into the safe, kept on 'Jessica's' desk.

I didn't get a reply, but I heard there was a bit of a kerfuffle when the auditors asked for the yellow book instead of the blue book they'd been given.