Queue jumpers

[Mushroomsarehorrible]

Why do us Brits get so wound up about queue jumping when other cultures / societies happily bundle and jostle and push in and no one gets angry about it?

I see so many arguments over people 'pushing in' on my commute into work. Queue pushers annoy me too, to me it just seems so obnoxious and ignorant to queue jump but I wish I didn't bother me! I usually bite my tongue but v occasionally I will say something. AIBU for being pissed off and if I am, can you tell me why queue pushers don't get your back up... I'm usually pretty easy going but this is my bugbear!

Best one I ever saw was not so much a queue jumping situation, but a while queue pulling together to piss off a VERY rude woman.

Aldi, one weekday afternoon. I have a couple of bits, there is a man in front of me (MIF) and then the lady in front of him has a few and behind me is a woman. When Lady in front (LIF) get to the cashier, the cashier is lovely and friendly, 'hi how are you' etc. LIF chats to cashier but is putting her goods in the trolley as she goes so nothing is any slower.

MIF gets his turn, cashier again, friendly, chatty. By this time the woman behind me is loudly huffing and sighing. Eventually she rudely shouts at cashier to stop chatting and do her 'bloody job'. We all stare at woman and comment on her rudeness. MIF meanwhile is ready to pay, which he does, with a grin on his face and entirely in change. Woman behind is scarlet with rage now.

My turn and I'm equally as slow now. DH chats to cashier and when it comes to pay takes an age to find his wallet. Woman starts to shout again and yells she's late for an appointment. I told her that perhaps next time instead of being a rude arse if she tried the polite approach she might get further.

Cruel perhaps, but an entire queue working together to see if she'd implode was rather enjoyable.

i was in the local post office yesterday queuing to post a parcel. There was about 8 people in front of me when i joined and the queue snaked around the shop.

As soon as I would lean over to look at something on the shop display someone would go in front of me.

Quick as a flash.

he was not expecting 3 cross British and American women to tell him off loudly and physically block him from cutting in ahead of us I’ve teamed up with American strangers at the airport before to form a human chain and stop the obnoxious group behind us from barging past. In my experience, Americans are very good at preventing people getting past them!

Just remembered the time I was queuing at Superdrug with my elderly grandmother in her wheelchair, and a woman came up behind us then stepped over my grandma’s wheelchair to get in front. I was too shocked to say anything (and would have struggled not to use the language I wanted to in front of my grandma!!) She said it happened to her all the time. It’s making me angry again now just thinking about it

Had a massive queue fail when stuck in Paris due to Eurostar delays. The station announcer kept telling everyone not to queue up for our train as the people that had been delayed longer were being sorted first. We dutifully obliged and sat and waited for a couple of hours. Eventually the announcer asked everyone to start queueing for the train after ours was scheduled. Perplexed we went to ask why our departure time hadn't been called next...turns out everyone had ignored the first announcement and all got boarded and left! To be fair to the Eurostar crew we were put on the next train in first class for our patience!

Queue jumping is rude and selfish. I hate it when people queue jump and get away with it. Some people seem too worried about confrontation to say anything. I'm not.

Someone in Aldi tried to push in front of me at the till recently, I pointed out that there was a queue, he said "oh but I've only got one item so I'll be quick", I told him that's not the point. He went to the back. Stupid thing is I'd have let him go ahead of me if he'd asked (I had a full trolley), it's assuming it's fine to barge in when others are waiting that enrages me. Why should everyone else wait patiently for their turn only for someone else to come along and get in first?

Vivianebrezilletbrooks

The irony of you accusing everyone of getting wound up when you sound VERY ANGRY

Wind your neck in

We get queue jumpers at school. Some mums think it's fine to push their kids to the front of the line despite being late each day.

PieWife that happened to me yesterday. I was behind a man at the till who had just one thing to pay for and I had a trolley. Another man came up behind me, didn't speak much English but showed me the three things in his hand and gestured that he wanted to go ahead of me and just squeezed past. I was a bit miffed that he just assumed it was okay to do that but I let him go ahead anyway, as it was no big deal.

Then to my dismay he did exactly the same thing to the man who had been in front of me and was just about to be served. And this man let him!

I said 'You do realise this nice man has just let you in front when he's got even less to pay for than you, don't you?'

He just smiled and tried to look like he didn't understand, then walked off.

We were once queuing for a ride somewhere when a number of youngsters came off the ride, we'd seen them further ahead already, and wanted to push through the queue to 'join their friends' and people were letting them. We blocked the queue, they couldn't get by us and eventually decided to go back, a couple of Germans ahead of us laughed and said 'Only the British and the Germans would do that to stop them!'

When people get like this when someone breaks out of the conformity over something non illegal that is when social order breaks down.
To the poster that was ill and needed to be served quicker I feel for you. This sanctimonious attitude of 'I was here first no matter what!' is just so ingrained in some people it's unbelievable.
The French will avoid queuing as much as possible and so will I.

Vivian you sound incredibly selfish and entitled. I hate that attitude of 'it's not illegal so I'm entitled to do it.' Actually, if someone wanted to take it up with the police them I'm sure there would be a case for breach of the peace, or even common assault in some cases of queue jumping.

It comes to something when we require legislation in order to manage things that were previously a matter of common sense, civic responsibility and good manners.

If social order is going to break down it will be when the balance tips towards too many selfish twats decide it's okay to behave like you.

If decent people with a sense of fairness are pushed to the limits of their patience and choose to react, then that's your fault, not theirs.