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AIBU?

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Original poster

To hate it when people queue WRONGLY in the shop?

74 replies

ICameOnTheJitney · 28/11/2013 20:48

I use a local Sainsbury's....the small type. It's a weird L shape so there's a bank of tills in the short section and then a long bit where you queue....the "space" in the L is taken up with shelves.

MOST people begin queuing in the long section which is CLEAR....but there's always some numpty who stands in the wrong place when they're queuing....and if they're next, the whole queue has to go behind them down the narrow bit which is meant for those using the self service tills or browsing!

I am so British about it though that I'd never say "Excuse me...move to your left and queue there or we'll all be to cock in a minute when more people arrive."

So I meekly get behind them where I know I will be in the frigging way! Are you someone who queues WRONGLY?

OP posts:
NoComet · 29/11/2013 07:45

I must confess, I'm sometimes guilty of 'wrong queuing' Blush

My dizzy, dyslexic, fuzzy about social interactions brain, gets befuddled with queues.

I'm forever going to the wrong end, not being sure where queues start or just being in the wrong place.

The numpty standing at the wrong end, despite the huge this way sign, that will be me.

YankNCock · 29/11/2013 07:49

Errrr.....I'm an unreliable source on American culture and social niceties now due to being in the UK for 11 years.

I seem to think 'lining up' for stuff is quite normal, and 1 line for multiple tills happened as well. And I can definitely recall asking 'is this the end of the line?' due to not wanting to queue-jump. I think as well I can remember hearing 'hey, the line's back there!' being shouted at someone.

DowntonTrout · 29/11/2013 07:57

I dont think they queue in America. I don't think they use the word.

People stand in line.

There is no queuing for the bus in London. People loiter, en masse, then all rush for it according to where the bus stops. Certain European countries also seem to lack understanding of a "queue".

Queuing seems to be a particularly British thing.

PseudoBadger · 29/11/2013 08:01

I reorganise queues Blush

So, countries that don't queue - what happens?

mrsflowerpot · 29/11/2013 08:02

I was in a long long queue for the ticket machine at a car park once - it was in central London after the theatres finished so there were masses of people waiting politely to pay and then go back to their cars. One bloke had clearly decided this wasn't for him, so he'd gone straight for his car, driven to the barrier and then, with a queue of cars behind him, got out and walked straight to the ticket machine. Nothing anyone could do as nobody was going anywhere until he did, so there was a lot of tutting until one awesome, very posh older lady shouted "Everyone! Look at the QUEUE JUMPER! QUEUE JUMPER! QUEUE JUMPER!" and the whole queue of literally dozens of us joined in. That is how you deal with them.

GiveItYourBestFucker · 29/11/2013 08:07

Did he have the grace to blush?

picnicbasketcase · 29/11/2013 08:08

Cash machines are a bugger for this too. For example two machines side by side- it's one queue waiting for either machine to become free, yet someone always tries to make a queue for one machine despite a whole line of other people having been standing there for five minutes. Like everyone else has a preference for the machine on the left. Idiot holes.

EirikurNoromaour · 29/11/2013 08:12

Countries where they don't queue, well my experience is limited but in morocco they all flock towards whatever it is they want waving cash and yelling until they get served. Some upmarket fast food places (yes they exist there) impose queuing but people will always try to flout the rules.

My pet hate is weedy sales assistants who shrug and serve the queue jumper rather than be assertive. That's almost worse than queue jumping. When I was in a customer facing role I took pleasure in ticking off queue jumpers.

EirikurNoromaour · 29/11/2013 08:13

Although I hate people queuing in one line for two machines. At a cash point just make two queues FFS.

mrsflowerpot · 29/11/2013 08:15

He kept his head down, certainly.

gamerchick · 29/11/2013 08:23

This ways happens to me. I once pulled a very tall and wide person and had a blazing row. Embarrassing the teen daughter who was with me. I don't know why as I had to look up at her.. she could have easily lamped me one.

Little old ladies are the best.. I swear I've seen one literally float at speed. No moving legs it looked like. Those ladies can shift when they want too.

TheDoctrineOfWho · 29/11/2013 08:37

Why, EN? One queue for two machines is more efficient surely?

Bluegrass · 29/11/2013 08:48

Eirikur - I much prefer the one queue system. That way if someone takes forever, or if a machine runs out of money the pain is spread amongst everyone and no one suffers unduly. With two queues you get one which suffers and everyone in the other queue just looks smug that it didn't happen to them! Two queues is fairer.

MimiSunshine · 29/11/2013 08:53

I hate people who queue wrong. It's not difficult, generally there is more than one person so it's easy to follow.

I worked in M&S once upon a time and the queues were horrendous at Christmas or sake time, miles long and then one cheeky fecker would come up to the end till and ask for a price check, and they say "oh great I'll take it" while getting their money out, they'd be dozens of people glaring at me while the queue jumper brazen it out.
I delighted in telling them that they had to join the queue, quite often they'd argue that they "we're here now" but I knew I'd get linched by the silently simmering mob if I gave in.

Trills · 29/11/2013 09:02

I have politely informed people that we are all waiting for these machines in one queue before, in a voice that says of course you weren't trying to jump the queue, I'm just helping you because you were clearly confused.

The thing I hate is when I get to the station and clearly everyone else before me has not done this, so now there are three queues for three machines, all with more than one person in.

You can't unfuck that, and it could stay messed up for hours.

(well, tens of minutes at least)

Bluegrass · 29/11/2013 09:21

I went to a country pub once and a group of tourists had arrived just in front of me and they formed a queue to be served, a queue stretching away from the bar! No one said anything as they were served, so of course I had to join the queue at the back. I felt like an idiot but it's difficult to explain that a queue to be served at a bar is a very different beast!

TinyTear · 29/11/2013 10:09

one year on the Open House weekend, they didn't have ticket slots for the Gherkin, so it was a queue first come first served... we were all patiently waiting when one person ahead of us then had a group of 10 mates joining her...

Oh the riot that ensued was brilliant! they kept changing people standing in the queue wqhile others milled around and then were obviously still trying to get the massive group in...

Security ended up being called and they were categorically told that was not on and that one person can only hold the space for one more person and even so it was not the done thing...

In the end I don't think they go to go up to the top of the Gherkin, mwhahahah

TinyTear · 29/11/2013 10:10

But i find amazing that in London, we queue for everything EXCEPT bloody buses!

In Edinburgh I was amazed at the orderly queue for the bus, and in Lisbon as well... In LOndon it's a free for all

Arabesque1 · 29/11/2013 11:48

Another thing that galls me is when there are separate queues for each checkout/ATM machine and someone kind of hovers between the two queues and then sidles into the one that starts to move quickest (often accompanied by a glare at the person they're sidling in front of, to make it quite clear that they're entitled to go in front).

And don't start me on people who leave a basket with a couple of items in it on the ground to hold their place in a queue while they go off and finish their shopping.
Or the people who see someone they know at the checkout, go up to talk to them then just stay where they are in the queue.

YouHaveBeenOutbid · 29/11/2013 11:55

Tiny Tear - where was there an orderly queue for the bus in Edinburgh?! It's getting more like this:

"There is no queuing for the bus in London. People loiter, en masse, then all rush for it according to where the bus stops."

It's kind of split between the people who still want to queue and the people who don't give a shit. I reckon in about 15 years there will be no more queueing. I will be very sad that day :(

Mim78 · 29/11/2013 11:57

EirikurNoromaour - you are so wrong about this. Can't be too emphatic.

One queue is always fairer. Then whoever was there first gets to the front first. End of.

Otherwise you end up with hold ups in one queue and those people who happened to join it having to wait around for ages.

Trills you are right about the station queues.

TinyTear · 29/11/2013 12:00

outbid

This was by Cameron Toll a couple of ago... the bus we wanted actually stopped behind another bus, so used to London we walked to get on, only to be shooed off to the bus stop as the bus WAITED till the other one went before letting people in in the right place... (in London the bus driver would only let in the people who walked to it, then driving off past the people still at the stop)

asmallandnoisymonkey · 29/11/2013 12:20

This thread has been brilliant so far - I actually laughed out loud at MrsFlowerpot's QUEUE JUMPER lady. I'm going to start being extra embarrassing to all the people that do this.

I was in my local co-op the other day having stacked my shopping ready for scanning. The assistant actually had my beans in her hand and was about 1mm away from scanning them when an old man sidled in front of me, glanced back and said "you don't mind, do you love, twenty lambert and butler please".. I was so gobsmacked I didn't know what to say and the assistant just did it! I'm angry at not saying anything now.

Mim78 · 29/11/2013 12:22

Clearly extra unreasonable if he's buying fags!

Mim78 · 29/11/2013 12:23

Oh yes, and double unreasonable points for calling you love...

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