What does this school mum actually think the rest of us are queuing for??

[aperolspritzbasicbitch]

In general I arrive at my child’s school for pick up about 5 minutes before the playground gate is opened. Not on purpose, it just happens that sometimes the walk is quicker than others. Sometimes I’m the first one there, sometimes there are a few people in front, and others join the queue behind me.

One particular mum will turn up bang on collection time (fine) and just walk past the queue of people patiently waiting and stand right in front of the gate.
As if we aren’t all there for the same reason.

It actually baffles me that she seems to think that her need to collect her child is any greater than the rest of us, but so far haven’t said anything because I can’t be arsed with any playground drama, although yesterday I was tempted to side step in front of her just as the gate was open.

is this not just straight up rude behaviour?

Maybe her child has special needs?

Maybe she is not British. Queues are unheard of outside of UK

Why is there a queue? At my son’s school the children come out by class and not in any order (depends on teacher and well lots of factors I presume).

My child could come out first or come out last. So this parent when she enters the gates just waits like everyone else.

Again why a queue as it serves no purpose - we all just congregate outside and then go in grounds when gate opens. If you said to me about it all I would ask why the queue?

more likely she does.

huh?

You should to go outside of the UK, if all your expectations are the same, you are going to be surprised 😂

You sound like you need to lighten up and get some hobbies, so that such minor things in life don’t take up so much space in your head you need to vent online!

If you read the thread properly you’d know why there is a queue!!!!!

Theres a gate that leads to the playground.
the gate is single person width
parents queue so they go in one by one
(a queue is where one person stands behind the other)
Queuing allows for orderly access and likely to prevent any blocking of cars/pavements or other spaces.

once in the playground they wait for their kids to be sent out.
therefore it doesn’t matter where you are in said queue
therefore no need for queue jump mum to jump the queue
yet she still does - this is why there is this thread.

It always pisses me off when people are jumping the queue (any type of, kinda 'pretending' they didn't know there is one) so I always observe and if see them jumping, I always say: 'Sorry, there's a queue there!' You can not really pass me and not get it :-)

People are genuinely that arrogant, stupid and lazy nowadays. They don't change until you do/say something about it, and even then, it's a stretch and it takes repetition to drill it through their dense af skulls.

Bear with it, and keep your fingers crossed that it makes a lasting difference. An added bonus could be that it gives the rest of the queue the confidence to act, themselves.

Best of luck! 👍🤞

Well to be fair she is probably wondering why you are all queuing, like most of the posters on here 😂

And she doesn’t mind being within a foot of the high metal gate, so it’s a win-win - you get to be over a foot away from the gate and she gets a nice, empty space to stand in within a foot of the gate she is about to walk through (having timed getting there infinitely better than you so as to avoid the weird and unnecessary line of people who seem to have a phobia of being near the gate when it is closed). 😂

I don't understand why you wouldn't say, oi there's a queue?! I totally understand the set up as we have exactly the same queue for the gate at our school. Some people do merge in when it's open and people are shuffling but not before.

Its definitely very rude! But I wouldn't suffer in silence. I'd ask her if she's aware of the queue!

But there’s no real advantage to being the first to get through the gate is there? So it’s not a queue.

What do you expect her to do if you bunch of muppets let her do it? 🤔

We have a long queue that forms at one of three entrances at our school. I come from the opposite end so I’m not walking past the gates to join the queue. I loiter around opposite the gates on the other side of the road and when the gates open I slowly wander over and walk through. It’s really not a queue jump but why would I walk out of my way to pick up, when it’s not single file entry and it depends on the time the teachers bring the children out of each individual class room. Also there are plenty of people who don’t have the luxury of turning up 10 minutes before to stand around and chat, which is largely what the queue seems to be about, so I arrive to time with the gates opening to pick my child up.

This. I don't understand why you care tbh op

Maybe she doesn’t feel like conforming with your expectation that she queues just because you want her too. Not sure why it matters, everyone gets there kids eventually don’t they.

But it is only a queue because you are at the front and then everyone gathers behind you in an orderly line. If everyone didnt queue behind you and it was just a large group of people waiting then it wouldnt be an issue if one makes their way through to the front. It is in our culture - we are programmed to queue. But possibly it is not within her culture to queue in the right way with the unspoken rules which you are going by. It isnt like queuing at the post office or the bank because you are all not waiting for service for something. And like other posters said once the gates open its a free for all and thats just to get to where the kids come out where you wait again but not in a queue. So im not sure that you can actually call it a queue - I think that you just think it is a queue because of your conditioning (not a criticism btw).

I did read the thread it says gate can’t see where it says single person access as in only one person at a time can enter.

When our gate opens a bunch of people can all walk through at the one time. Regardless still don’t see the point of queuing and if there was one there is nothing to be gained going in first so who cares.

Ah, we have several ways to get into the school grounds as we don't have any locking gates on the fences. In fact only one entrance has a gate and it's just there to open when the lawn tractor or other vehicle needs to be on the grounds.

A queue? All I've experienced is a crowd, first ones are at the front, others wait behind. That's at 3 different schools! Xx

If there's no sign saying 'Queue starts here' or 'First come first admitted', then I think your insistence that a queue is a queue is a queue is a little silly.

There's nobody policing the queue and it makes no difference to the picking up of children whether you or this other woman gets in the gate first.

It's a self appointed queue that may well satisfy some people's own need for orderliness, but it's not necessary or official.

It’s not a queue with any relevant outcome or intention behind it. The DC are not brought out and handed over one to one or in order, so irrelevant to queue, you could mill about adding to your step count. It’s reminds me of the race in Alice in Wonderland.

OP Says it. Small gate. Only one person through.

I think the silly arguments about whether it’s a queue or not are an aside.

the point of the thread is that there is a clear established queue (whether posters like it or not) and then this one mum ignores this and goes right to the front.

whether you agree with the queue or not. That’s still rude to bypass everyone.