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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to wonder how you would have handled this queue jumper?

80 replies

chocolatecremeegg · 26/08/2011 12:31

Was queueing for a ride with the dc's at Chessington. Queues were particularly bad (park was at full capacity) and we queued for about 50 mins for one ride the dcs were desperate to go. As we got to the front of the queue a woman and her child walked all the way up the queue and barged to the front, bold as brass. Could feel my blood boiling but thought to myself, say nothing, don't get worked up, it's not worth it etc etc.

Could hear others in the queue mumbling about how unfair it was this woman had barged in, a few parents were explaining to their kids (who asked why the woman had been able to walk straight to the front rather than queue) how it wasn't acceptable to queue jump etc.

Anyway, a few minutes later another woman and 4 children climb over the barrier to stand with the woman and her child who queue jumped. They were laughing about how easy it was to get to the front of the queue and smirking to themselves.

Afraid to say I couldn't hold back. Turned to the women and said I'd been waiting for 50 mins to get on, how it wasn't acceptable to queue jump etc. Man next to me joined in and told the member of staff what had happened. The women were laughing and generally were very proud of themselves. I siad they were setting a poor example for their children. They told me if I didn't like it I should go somewhere else! Staff member said as she hadn't seen the woman and her children push in she couldn't do anything. They went straight on the ride, as there were so many of them it meant I had to wait a further 10 mins before I and the dcs could get on the ride!

AIBU to wonder what you would have done in that situation?

OP posts:
Lunabelly · 26/08/2011 18:14

You did what you could. I would now write to head office.

I would have liked to have said to my DCs in a very loud voice "OH THOSE POOR POOR CHILDREN, BEING BROUGHT UP SO BADLY AND WITH NO MANNERS THEY'LL END UP BEING UNEMPLOYABLE RIOTING LOOTERS"

Buuuut I wouldn't. Instead I would inwardly seethe and mentally picture sticking pins in little wax effigies of the adult queue jumpers, for I am evil. :o

Cammelia · 26/08/2011 18:26

I find not many people try to qj past me when I'm with my 6' 7" dh - they don't know he's a pussycat Grin

But seriously, the staff were not doing their job there.

I have only been to Chessington out of season.

unfitmother · 26/08/2011 18:26

I hate queue jumpers! Angry

youarekidding · 26/08/2011 18:26

I had a similar experience to matbells in ASDA once. Started a thread about it to ask WIBU to have siad something. I'm sure a few posters told me I was mad and to get over it.

Will search for it.

youarekidding · 26/08/2011 18:35

That should say maybells

found thread and no people weren't telling me I was mad!!

here

signothetimes · 26/08/2011 18:58

Thread reminds me of my first experience at Disneyland Paris - I didn't have a clue that queue jumping was so bad, no one mentioned it to me before we went (to pre-warn me) and I naively assumed that it's Disney, they'll know how to organise queues...Hmm spent the whole 3 days with steam coming out my ears at the antics of people just ignoring queue structure. Got wise to it eventually, and on being asked to move so one person could skip up the queue, with the intention of about 12 people also with him following on after, I decided to ignore them. Cue french family cursing me in french using some swear words I recognised, others I didn't Hmm. They didn't get past Grin

2nd trip last year I watched 2 families 'posture' in front of me to position themselves to be 1st when waiting in a queue for a table at a restaurant. It was fascinating watching people who were as bad as each other skip past the other at the 1st sign of a gap, only to be jumped by other family moments later. It was like watching a masterclass Grin

I'm all elbows and stiff-as-a-board back when it comes to sneaky wee queue jumpers now. I feel I've passed the test for dealing with them.

Ilikepinkwine · 26/08/2011 19:02

At Alton Towers they have signs up explaining what queue jumping is and stating that park policy is that queue jumpers will be asked to leave. Seemed fair.

Mitmoo · 26/08/2011 19:02

Dozer The staff are probably on minimum wage, far from being wimps they probably figured rightly they weren't paid enough to get in the middle of queue jumping rows.

Do people know that if there is a child with a disability most places allow the child and their group to queue jump, but they normally allow them on at the exits not to literally go to the front of the queue?

Mitmoo · 26/08/2011 19:06

Has anyone else loudly challenged those in supermarkets, you know the sort, a long queue, a new till opens and the person right at the back of the queue in the yonder runs to the front of the new till without caring others had been queing longer. [growl emoticon]

So bliddy rude.

Pekkala · 26/08/2011 19:06

We got queue jumped as we were waiting to go into the Vatican. By a group of young priests, full robes and dog collars, laughing and pretending they weren't actually doing it!

coccyx · 26/08/2011 19:08

they do it because they know they are unlikely to be challenged. well done on speaking up.
I spent many years in Middle east and you get used to speaking up when cheeky buggers push in

bellaisinHawaii · 26/08/2011 19:09

I would have challenged them.

We went somewhere earlier on in the year, there were some huge fancy trucks on show. You queued, when it was your DC's turn, they got in one side of the truck and when they had looked around the cab, they got out of the other side. Only some parents were sneaking their kids into the exit door onto the trucks - oh boy did they know I was annoyed - they got out pretty quickly too.

Mitmoo · 26/08/2011 19:09

Pekkala probably rushing to get the best pick of the altar Boys.

Mit: Drops to knees begging forgiveness for typing wicked thoughts.

LineRunner · 26/08/2011 19:11

coccyx -

Egypt - delightful ladies' only queues at train stations, remember them?

Fo0ffyShmoofer · 26/08/2011 19:12

GrinGrinTheFlyingOnion.
Never knowingly under- react.

Sharney · 26/08/2011 19:22

I really hate queue jumpers too. I was at a concert last year when some-one tried that. My 2 friends were standing behind me so I was facing the back of the queue whilst talking to them when a super model type in skinny jeans and stilettoes sasheyed up the queue. As she was about to walk past me I put my hand on the side rail and said, what are you doing? She held up her return to venue pass and said, I'm just going inside, I have a pass. As if it was V.I.P or something. I said (in my most condescending voice) honey, we all have those passes you should get back to the end of the queue and wait your turn like the rest of us. She just stood there and stared at me, for what seemed like 5min. In the end I said (in my best nasty mummy voice) If you don't do as your told right now I will shout for the security man. She turned on her heal and stormed off. The dozen or so people around me, encouraged by my friends clapped and cheered. I felt great. :o

Pawsnclaws · 26/08/2011 19:25

The thing that bugs me most is when I see my dcs queuing patiently for something, and they get pushed past.

I used to let ds1 (he was about 6 at this stage) get himself a little snack at the gym cafe after we'd been swimming. At first he loved standing there with his money in his hand and choosing his own snack, he felt really grown up. Sadly, his place in the queue would sometimes be overrun by the gym mummies desperate for their coffee who just bellowed their orders over his head. And there was one particularly miserable staff member who let them get away with it.

I always used to walk over and say "excuse me but x has been waiting patiently to be served" but do you know, I just got sick of having to do it. They know that if it happens they should be quietly assertive, but it just doesn't seem worth the effort at this cafe.

Luckily they can be quite vocal when they see other people being rude - not uncommon for one of the boys to say loudly "Mum you held the door open for that lady and she didn't say thank you!" which occasionally embarrasses the person concerned - but not often!

herecomesthsun · 26/08/2011 20:45

Good reason not to bother with Chessington (makes mental note)

herecomesthsun · 26/08/2011 20:49

ditto Disneyland Paris. Mind you, DH is very tall also and I never get hassle if I'm with him...

ravenAK · 26/08/2011 21:27

I last had this on a school trip to Alton Towers.

Bad enough for these 4 cocky teenage boys - obviously thinking 'we'll barge in in front of these women, they won't say owt' - that they found out that they'd shoved in front of 6 teachers who had no qualms whatsoever in telling a bunch of strapping lads to get to the back.

Even worse that the 50 or so teenagers behind us were our lot & slow hand clapped & jeered their ignominious retreat Grin...

5inthebed · 26/08/2011 21:33

I loathe queue jumpers, especially those who make it so obvious!

Was queueing for the toilet at a Take That concert in May, 20 or so minutes in and I was finally in the actual toilet room, a few people in front of me. In comes this drunk woman clutching her stomach and cross legged making noises I can only assume were her attempts at acting in need of a wee. She jumped straight into the next available toilet! Cheeky cow! Person who came out of the toilet she went inmust have told someone as next thing I knew St Johns Ambulance people were in there, banging on her door asking if she as ok. She was very Blush when she came out as there was nothing wrong with her, other than the need to pee.

Whatmeworry · 26/08/2011 21:38

Two things:

  1. Make a fuss at the time, or jump in front of them. That's setting a good example to your kids.
  1. Write to Chessington, tell them you've posted it on MumsNet, and tell them that you want to see a written aopolgy and evidence of dealing with it in future.
  1. But really, just don't go to Chessington, its the worst for this in my experience.
waitofevidence · 26/08/2011 21:51

I plan to knit some tiny jumpers with "queue jumper" sown onto them and sticky tape and stick them to the back of anyone who jumps in front of me.

vicks71 · 26/08/2011 21:52

There are few things in life that make my blood boil more than queue jumping (I think I need to get some perspective!!)

I was in an airport once. Very early morning flight with a check in area that was a bit out of the way and so people for our plane were the only ones queuing. We'd all queued in front of the 2 designated desks but only one opened and so we were all very fair and english about it and ended up taking turns one from each of the 2 queues to go to this one desk. Eventually, after about 20 mins, the 2nd desk did open - one man walked from the back of the queue and tried to jump in front of the group of people who were all already standing in front of that actual desk. I was a few back and I remonstrated with him loudly. He tried to argue with me about it but then huffed and went to the back. No-one (except DP) backed me up. However for the rest of the morning as I walked around the airport - people kept stopping me and saying "well done". In the loos, in WH Smith, as I took my seat on the plane. I felt like a minor celebrity Grin - though they bloody well could have backed me up in the first place though!

spottyock · 26/08/2011 22:01

Disneyland Paris is definitely the worst place for queue jumping ever! It was the first holiday I went on with my now husband and it was an eye opener for us both! I ended up in a few rows with people and was pleased that we managed to do it in one day otherwise I think I would have exploded spending a week there!

You most certainly did the right thing challenging them. They bargain on people not challenging them. Yes, it was not the right outcome this time but next time...

As for Chessington - customer care is shocking. Expect an email thanking you for your comments and then breathlessly telling you about their exciting rides to come and pay through the nose again for. Gah!