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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to think if you leave the queue, you re-join at the back?

68 replies

LittleMiss77 · 19/05/2015 12:34

long story short - guy in front of me leaves queue, i step forward, he rejoins queue but demands to be let in where he left. I point out that he left the queue so no, he cant do that, he calls me polite and then shoves me and my 33wk pregnant backside out of the way to get his place back.

Was i BU?

Either way, he's casting me off to the pits of hell... my family too. Do you think i'll need suncream? Im very pale....

OP posts:

emwithme · 19/05/2015 20:24

There is a world of difference between "staying in the queue but nipping to look at socks/last minute sweeties/running off to get the one thing you actually came to the bloody supermarket for milk or bread or whatever" and "leaving the queue to move to a different one because it's moving quicker".

In the former, you say (either to whoever's behind you or just out loud in general) "I'm just nipping to get whatever/looking at the socks" and so you keep your place in the queue when you get back.

In the latter, you leave the queue, you've lost your place.

TestingTestingWonTooFree · 19/05/2015 20:32

He assaulted you. I'd go to the police. If he paid by bank card, they'd be able to locate him and even if not, police officers can often recognise scumbags from CCTV.

DramaQueenofHighCs · 19/05/2015 20:42

OT but I'm wondering how many people here who say it's not ok to queue jump in the supermarket let people past them in theme park queues!
It only seems to ever be myself and DH who ever complain about the 'sorry I/my child had to go to the toilet' brigade - everyone else lets them past without comment! Grr!!
(Btw parents with young children are an exception in a way but even so you make sure they go to toilet before joining the queue surely!? If there is a medical reason for needing the loo more often than every couple of hours surely you can get a ride pass.)

Sorry. I think if you leave the queue you most certainly forfeit your place, although the 'sidestep to get socks/chocolate/ drink is an exception. I'd say if you go more than 1 metre from the queue/take more than 30 seconds then you join the back.

DramaQueenofHighCs · 19/05/2015 20:45

Oh and another exception is if you ask/tell the others in the queue that you're just popping to get something you forgot and are quick about it. (One or two mins)

Joining another queue and then changing your mind is not on at all.

DancingHat · 19/05/2015 21:53

Do people who are from other cultures other than British have similar queuing dilemmas/conversations? I love a good queuing thread and click on all of them!

YANBU - took his chance and lost. You don't get a second one in queuing wars!

gatlinout · 19/05/2015 22:05

My toddler ran out of the door of the shop when I was in the queue once and the person behind me wouldn't let me back in.

I was clearly retrieving my toddler from the road and was gone literally seconds - didn't move out of their sight! Grrr,

matrix11 · 19/05/2015 22:10

I was in a supermarket yesterday, had a lady in front with her items going through, then it was my bread and milk next, then one more person behind me, whilst I was waiting, an elderly lady asked if she could pass, yes I said thinking she just wanted to pass through, oh no she didn't! She puts her basket on the conveyor and unloads it in front of my items, pushing mine further back up the belt, I ask what's she's doing, she then gets all huffy and puffy with me, all I could do was laugh at the nerve of it and the cashier just looked away too, who does that!

DramaQueenofHighCs · 19/05/2015 22:44

gatlinout in your case I think you were 100% justified in getting back in the queue in the exact place you left it - even my DH (who is very strict on joining the back if you leave a queue) agrees he would've let you back in willingly and stood up for you if others didn't.

gatlinout · 20/05/2015 07:21

Ah, thanks drama queen. The worst thing about it was having to spend an extra 10 minutes queuing with a fractious, bolting toddler.

FarelyKnuts · 21/05/2015 19:56

The ones that drive me fucking bananas is in small shops/garage forecourt type place where they start putting something through the till and then the person nips off for 5 minutes! to get whatever the hell it is they have forgotten, or umms and ahhs about their choices of chocolate/sweets/crisps while standing at the damn counter, leaving everyone behind them just standing waiting for them to come back as the assistant can't put stuff through the till that is already in use!

shadypines · 21/05/2015 20:03

YANBU, he's got a bloody cheek if he was gone that long to try another queue. Aggressive arsehole. He shouldn't have shoved you but are we assuming he knew you were pregnant?

AntiDistinctlyMinty · 21/05/2015 20:21

My absolute worst queuing encounter was in the supermarket when the couple in front of me had unloaded their full trolley, my full trolley was next, and the woman said to the man 'Oh bugger, we've forgotten the milk'. At this point he turned around, grabbed the milk from my trolley and put it on the conveyor with their shopping! The lad on the checkout and I were both

His poor wife hadn't realised what he'd done and said 'oh no, there it is!'. She was mortified when we pointed out that her lazy shit husband had pinched mine. We heard her berating him for embarrassing her all the way out of the shop

Internationer · 02/06/2015 13:42

:o The sheer bloody cheek of some people! No way is it ok to change lanes because another one seems quicker, then demand to be let back in. I hate queueing - makes me soooo stressed. If only every place that had a queue had cattle runs, so the first person to come in was the first served! And don't get me started on people who take a queue number, then leave and put their number back on the machine, so the next person who comes in gets to jump way up the line! So inconsiderate of everyone else who came in after you!!!!!

Fudgeface123 · 02/06/2015 13:54

Minty, OMG!

2rebecca · 02/06/2015 14:02

I agree that if you expect to regain your place you ask the person behind if it's OK to pop and get x which you have forgotten. If you change queues you lose your place.
I have people who get to the cashier pay for their stuff and then decide they also want to buy x and leave everyone standing whilst they go and get it. They should just pay for their stuff and then go and buy their extra shopping and queue again. Making other people hang about is selfish.

2rebecca · 02/06/2015 14:02

hate not have

2rebecca · 02/06/2015 14:04

I'm a big fan of scan as you shop. No need to load and unload stuff and never any queues (at my shop)

chrome100 · 02/06/2015 14:06

I'd just let him back in. Life's too short.

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