Has anyone been to the Lying In State and wished they hadn't bothered?

[Reallybadidea]

Just being nosey really. I'm not the most patient of people and can't imagine queuing for hours for anything. Has anyone been and found it a bit of a letdown once they got to the end (beginning?) of The Queue?

Sure, but it is loads of posts. It's really not just one. It's LOADS and on LOADS of threads.

It's really interesting as tbh not being a monarchist or a republican, but just sort of not bothered, I hadn't really listened to the conversation before.

@Doingprettywellthanks

Well that has to be the most ridiculous comment of all
DH who is 'doing pretty well thanks' and decided that it was something he wanted to do.
Myself also ' doing pretty well thanks' decided to go to my bed

I don’t know, I was just answering the original question in the thread title.

We saw him, he was awful. After 12 hours I think the least you deserve is a few seconds to pause and reflect.

@Purplefoxes No worries I get the curiosity and I have friends who don't understand it too. I think the best way I can put it is that the queen's passing did bring people together. I don't feel particularly strongly either way but mum is a royalist and I just thought it'd be nice if we went together.

On my part too, it's also different when you have to actively plan something and put yourself in the spotlight i.e. sponsored run (though I do acknowledge that that will benefit others) whereas here we were just random people lost in a crowd, surrounded by good people here to pay respects to a woman who served the country for decades. It's hard to explain but it's a very unique atmosphere and situation and it's nice seeing some semblance of a community again.

@lomoko @WhileMyGuitarGentlyWeeps That's weird I would've thought it was the right wing who were more likely to despise the poor.... Nigel Farage wasn't exactly short of a Bob or two was he, he enjoyed a good shoot minus the 'rif raff'? I thought anti-monarchists were about getting money back from the wealthy monarchs and landlowners to redistribute to the poor so in their favour...? So again that's the opposite. And what is a 'wokie' and how would I know if I saw one/am one? I am 38. I work and bring up a 5 year old with another one the way. I don't own an air frier and I don't despise the poor. Could I be woke? Your prejudices are outstanding. If I was to be prejudiced I would say you are both antivaxxer brexiteers over the age of 50 and also sun/daily fail readers, so it's a good job I'm not 🤣 if there is anything we can learn from this thread including myself it is you cannot really pigeon hole people like that.

I don't know why anyone would feel let down, as surely they realise that all they will do is file past the coffin. It is clearly shown on tv what the situation is.

I personally wouldn't go as nowhere near London, however I have watched as much tv coverage as I can of all the visits, vigils, ceremonies etc as I am interested in it.

Regarding the demographic being low paid though, the only people I know who have gone are

teacher
accountant
solicitor

so hardly low paid

People will have gone for many reasons - I'm not a big royal fan, I didn't watch the jubilee (except Paddington for my younger dd) but I felt the need to show respect for 70 years of public service, right up til her death.

There was a young woman in the queue next to me who'd gone for her Nan - with the live cam your whole family can watch one person go through.

Why do you need to get a grip? 🤔 Maybe because you keep posting and frothing about how stupid people are for doing something they've chosen to do and seem to be getting satisfaction out of, and why can't they do something better with their time? Meanwhile, here you are, spending your time being frustrated with people whose point of view you're never going to see. I know who looks like they're having a better day to me out of you and the people queuing.

In fact, I may well be wrong about this, but I wonder if it was largely a herd-mentality thing - ironically, if all of these people could somehow have waited for 5 minutes or so and then walked straight in, without all the big build-up, whether many of them would actually have bothered to do so?!

I agree with your whole post @WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll

However the excerpt above is a reason I'd have been more inclined to go and not less.

Take away the queues and the people and the media and I'd have been much more likely to have gone.

The fact those queuing are mostly white has fuck all to do with population demographics and everything to do with how the British monarchy is viewed by those with heritage from countries that were affected by the actions of the British empire.

@bootseason, good point, I expect people record their nearest and dearest being there.

In all honesty, no one is doing it for the Queen, she is obviously not going to see it.

I was thinking today how I've sat next to people in 12 hour plane rides and certainly never made any friends for life through that! Also for work courses or conferences - you don't just become friends for life after 12 hrs (generally).

It's interesting, Purplefoxes. Take a look on the threads. It's noticeable and interesting.

I wouldn't have expected it either, particularly. But I don't think it means anything about right wing people one way or another. I'm sure there are plenty of right wingers busily despising the poor on other threads! I'm a trade unionist myself so no dog in that fight.

No need to worry about me @internet

I went and have no regrets whatsoever. I was able to use the accessible queue which meant I queued for less than two hours, I would not have been able to queue in the main queue and admire those who have.

However I really cannot fathom why anyone is questioning (in a very sneering way) why people do want to do this. Every single person has their own reason for going and every single reason is valid.

so I think those who have contributed here with their condescending, snobbish and extremely ignorant comments should maybe have a moment of quiet reflection- perhaps to question why they are so judgemental?

I wouldn't queue for 24 hours, but I admire those that are doing it.

Honestly the sneering and looking down on people choosing to do something that you personally wouldn't is awful. Nobody is going to stand for 24 hours in a constantly shuffling queue unless they're really dedicated to what they are doing. So what? They're not hurting anyone, they are there for their own personal and varied reasons. Good on them.

By all accounts it seems quite a jovial and good natured queue and people seem to be saying they got something from it. What are you doing other than sitting on the internet bitching?

Queue or don't queue. But belittling other people by calling them stupid or poor says a lot more about you than it does them.

You'd have to be very committed to wait 24h to gawp when you can gawp at the tv at home. I think people turned up because they really wanted to be there, for all the reasons stated.

No need to worry about me @InternetRandom i'm not frustrated but thanks for your concern. 🤣 I've had a brilliant day enjoying the sunshine and now watching the news from my sofa and the people queueing in the cold whilst having a leisurely tea!! actually that was prompted me to come on here to see why people were doing it. There are people from all walks of life doing it and I dont think you can say they are all stupid. I do think it's bonkers to want to queue that amount or time saying that but then that's because personally I get impatient after queuing for 10 mins even for something I really want! 🤣 They just must all be a lot more patient. Actually I wanted to find out their logic because I think trying to understand others makes us more tolerant. You think I should get a grip for trying to understand other people here? My friend even tried to persuade me to go there with her. There are lots of things I'd do for her but that is not one of them! Her reason was wanting to see the royal family and shake hands as she is star struck. That wasn't a good enough reasons for me to go!

100%. I find it baffling that anyone would have the patience to queue for more than an hour, nevermind a day. But i also don't get the criticism, besides those white children which is quite selfish to drag them along. It's sort of nice to see people who love the queen to this extent.

Yes to this

The jovial community going on v internet complaining about the queue

All the attacks re poor or stupid etc

I prefer the queue side of things but didn’t do it

No one queues for 24 hours. I started queuing when it said “do not come. Estimated time 25 hours” and I was through in 12 hours. To be honest - not sure how anyone could physically queue for 24 hours. I am pretty fit and was dead and had hit a wall at 11 hours (though I had only had 2 hours sleep).

So the person who was arrested for holding up a blank piece of paper as a protest, would you feel 'judgemental' or even have an opinion about them? Or not because every reason for attending is valid? What about the person who tried to attack the coffin? Still a valid reason?

hear hear. So much snobbery and patronising on this thread. You don't want to queue? Great. Many others do. Uni researchers have reported the queue is pretty representative of the uk population. People are clearly going for a whole variety of reasons. My smart, sensible, retired dad would like to have gone, but can't as he's my mum's carer. He wanted to show his respects to the queen, thank her for her years of duty and mark this moment in British history.