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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU about queue jumping?

35 replies

Yummum26 · 25/06/2019 22:36

I was out shopping with DS today, returning some bits in a returns queue. The line was forever long, about a good half hour wait. A lady rocks up and says to me "the lady in front if you was holding my place and now she's gone, can I get in front of you"?
I thought, she could be lying or telling the truth so I said ok but if she could queue up just behind me as DS was hot and cranky and tired. She made a fuss about how her place was held etc and I thought, hmm, some people would have just said no. I at least said ok, but behind as I have DS here to get home. She seemed to stick right by me and wouldn't budge and then pushed past me when I was next to be served! Did i do something wrong? She had no child with her and has no idea what its like, and I was being nice! Especially with the humidity!

OP posts:
BogglesGoggles · 25/06/2019 22:37

Yes you did. You should have said no.

LeslieKnope2020 · 25/06/2019 22:47

And what about the person stood behind you? Is it ok for a person to cut in front of them but not in front of you? You shohld have just said no and sent her to join the back of the line

Original poster
Yummum26 · 25/06/2019 22:48

I was very aware that an altercation could arise and I had DS with me. She had an aura of "I will push past you. Very intimidating yet such a sneaky thing to do!

OP posts:
Original poster
Yummum26 · 25/06/2019 22:50

I looked behind me at the lady behind me and she sort of just had the "i dont want to know" thing going on. It was really very silly. Inching toward the cashiers with her rubbing my shoulders. Awful

OP posts:
cranstonmanor · 25/06/2019 22:57

I always get pissed off if someone in front of me let's someone else join the queue in front of them. It makes my wait longer too.

blackteasplease · 25/06/2019 23:15

I agree that you should have said no.

Place saving in shop queues is not a thing.

But letting her in behind you is very silly as it inconveniences others but not you!

BackforGood · 25/06/2019 23:18

Did i do something wrong?

Yes. You should have said "no - we've all been waiting a long time, you need to join the end of the queue", not "Well, I don't want you in front of me, but you can push in front of the person behind me" Hmm

crustycrab · 25/06/2019 23:24

You can't tell her to go behind you either. She should've gone to the back of the queue.

You basically told her no, you can't push in front of me but you allowed her to push in front of those behind you. Which wasn't your decision to make.

NoSquirrels · 25/06/2019 23:27

In that situation the place in front of you was yours to give - and you didn’t want to. So you should have said no, ask the lady behind if she minds.

So yes - you were wrong. She was worse, but that’s not what you asked.

BigRedLondonBus · 25/06/2019 23:32

This happened to me the other day in the post office, just as I was about to join the queue a man at the end asked the lady infront of him if she would “save” his place in the queue. He then went and sat down, filled in a form and returned to the queue just as it was nearing the front and stood behind her and in front of me! I don’t like confrontation so didn’t say anything but I was shocked that this is a thing. He didn’t say anything to me but thanked her. All very strange

Andylion · 25/06/2019 23:50

A lady rocks up and says to me "the lady in front if you was holding my place and now she's gone, can I get in front of you"?

So, nobody was actually saving her space? Confused

Original poster
Yummum26 · 26/06/2019 10:04

The funny thing is I did say no politely, but she wasn't the type to budge. She literally stuck to me like glue. It was all very odd. Like i said was not about to get into confrontion esp with my little with me. Anyway!

OP posts:
Slicedpineapple · 26/06/2019 10:06

I would have said no but it she was that close behind me in the queue trying to intimidate me, I would have turned around and asked her to give me some space. And then moved forward really slowly.

EssentialHummus · 26/06/2019 10:09

If this lady wasn't visible the entire 30 min you were waiting, I don't think she was telling the truth. Who fucks off for 30 minutes mid-queue?

AnAC12UCOinanOCG · 26/06/2019 10:11

Why on earth did you tell her she could go in front of all the people behind you??

When she pushed in you should have said to the cashier, "Excuse me, I'm next. This woman jumped the queue." and then gone to be served.

yourestandingonmyneck · 26/06/2019 10:11

Sounds like you did all you could to avoid an altercation, but as others have said, it wasn't your place to offer the place behind you.

She sounds absolutely dreadful though. I don't believe for a second there was a lady holding the place, even if there was, so what? She's a cow and I hope the next person she tries it with tells her to fck right off

MrsFezziwig · 26/06/2019 10:12

There was no “lady in front of you” saving her space. She just pushed in and you’ve been taken for a mug - and YWBU to let her in behind you as that place wasn’t yours to give.

MrsFezziwig · 26/06/2019 10:14

And I would have been suggesting to the staff that they find someone else to help with the returns.

Norma27 · 26/06/2019 10:14

I would have said no too. Some people are so bloody cheeky.
One thing I have done for my mum tho as she can’t stand for long is queue up for her, and then swap with her towards the front. Only in her bank tho- anywhere else I would just shop etc for her.

HandsUpHere · 26/06/2019 10:26

The people who leave their shopping on the till and f*k off around the shop doing the rest of their shopping give me the rage. I always take their items off the belt and put my items up. They're so entitled. When they arrive back and question it I just tell them they were delaying the que because they clearly weren't ready to be at the till yet. Hmm

SaveKevin · 26/06/2019 10:43

I think its the Lidl / Aldi affect, you know the lurkers with "I've only got a massive basket full of stuff so I'm going to lurk until i go in front". Its never been expected at any other supermarket, yet it is there?

@HandsUpHere
I sometimes might forget something or realise that the tomatoes I've picked up are mouldy, so want to swap them. Would you really take all my stuff off? I will only dash if there is enough time to be back for the operator. If its just sitting on the conveyor belt, whilst the other persons stuff is still being put through i can't see anything wrong.

Original poster
Yummum26 · 26/06/2019 10:55

Yeah wrong of me to say get behind me (get behind me satan🤣🤣🤣) I get it enough.
But in all honesty if my son wasnt with me (5 years old today🎈🎈) I would have kicked off. But her aura was just so menacing and I was not about to fight a woman in front of him. I was not about to fight anyone period. I've lived long enough to know know some people are cray cray.

OP posts:
Halloumimuffin · 26/06/2019 10:58

You were waiting for 30 minutes but you didn't see this lady before and presumably didn't see the person in front of you leave the queue either? So her story was bullcrap even if 'place saving' was a thing?

Original poster
Yummum26 · 26/06/2019 11:02

Tbh there was a lady in front if me that did leave bc of the wait, but this queue jumper could have been scoping and took an opportunity.

OP posts:
thedevondumpling · 26/06/2019 11:04

People are crazy sometimes. I was in Sainsburys once on Christmas Eve. I joined the end of a queue and the woman in front of me said, "My husband and trolley are here." keeping an empty space in front of me. It was so ridiculous I started to laugh and she got very offended and marched off and joined her husband who was just arriving with their trolley. I got very dirty looks off both of them. I actually think laughing at them was very effective but I found that out accidentally, I do it deliberately now particularly at irate men in car queuing situations. I find it works better than getting angry.

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