Queue argument....... who was right and who was wrong.......

[ACautionaryTale]

Socially distanced queue at the supermarket. I was number 3 in the queue, there were about 12 in total. its not a big one but not an express style either. Most people only get a basket of shopping nor a full weekly shop.

Relatively older lady joins the queue at the back. So number 13. did not look infirm or otherwise struggling. I'd say late sixties/early 70s.

Woman who was number 1 in the queue indicates to new joiner to join the queue at the front.

Several people object. Number 1 lady starts saying its only polite to the older generation,.

I politely point out that it was not her decision to make on behalf of everyone else in the queue. She did not get to decide for everyone else whether the lady could jump the queue.

I got told I had no social respect (and called a fat cunt for the privilege) and that older people should go first.

Older lady at the back looked embarrassed and pointed out she did not want to jump the queue.

Lady in position 1 left the store offing and blinding.

I can’t believe you made a fuss when someone made a kind gesture and the queue was only 12 deep and with baskets

Just good manners. Lady may have unseen health issues. Any one of the 12 people in the queue might have had unseen health issues.

Jesus Christ, MacBlank, that was just an outpouring of bile.

I think the lady at the front of the queue was trying to be kind. It's a small thing for the rest of the queue to put up with and not worth saying anything. YABU to say something. This said it is never ok to call someone a fat cunt

Wow, MacBlank what a nasty, ageist post.

MacBlank What a load of ageist bile and hate. You sound like a real peach.

Only on mumsnet would something as petty as this have to be a group discussion and agreement.

I let people in front of me all the time when they've only got a couple of bits, and haven't ever once consulted anybody behind me in the queue.

I would have been extremely annoyed. I have hidden disabilities, degenerative discs in my spine and arthritis in my spine and hips I can stand still for about 10 minutes tops in a queue. I try my best to pick quiet times to shop and have not been to big supermarket for years as I just can't manage it. I shop local in smaller supermarkets but even my local ones have queues now. It really annoys me when people try to go in front, I always refuse and then get a load of abuse. The first lady should swap places and not inconvenience the others.

YA(Definitely)NBU I was in a queue (admittedly not during lockdown), wanting just a few things, and an elderly lady came to join the queue. The person 3 from the front shouted to the lady to go in front of her. The elderly lady was gushing in thanks. I wasn’t happy, but didn’t say anything. A couple of minutes later 3 more elderlyish ladies came along, obviously friends with elderly lady. She shouted them to join her at the front of the queue!! I did say that’s not fair but elderly lady told me to ‘sod off’!! No one else then said a thing. Ended up queuing for an extra 10 minutes more than I should have! Not long you may say, but I missed my bus home and had to wait an hour for next one!

@BojoKilledMyMojo

Only on mumsnet would something as petty as this have to be a group discussion and agreement.

I let people in front of me all the time when they've only got a couple of bits, and haven't ever once consulted anybody behind me in the queue.

There are two scenarios here, though: Person with a few items is behind you in a long queue- Fine. Person with few items would be "pushing in" in front of several others- not fine. You can't decide for them if they are OK with that or able to wait longer. For the record, I wouldn't care, but some people would.

Amazed by the attitude of some people on this thread.
Op- the lady doesn't have the right to make decisions on the whole queues behalf, but she does have the right to make a decision about who she lets in front of her position, as does every person in the queue.
I would and have offered older, or less mobile people a place in front of me and no one has been petty enough to mind.
To all those saying it isn't fair- remember that you will be that age one day, or it could be one of your relatives in that position.
Compassion apparently costs a few extra minutes waiting in a queue.

Yes, Jojofyo44 but there is nothing in the OP to suggest that the woman concerned was in anyway particularly old or any less mobile than anyone else in the queue or that she wasn't happy to queue.

Obviously, if someone is old or in any other way unable to queue then no one would mind them going ahead.

I'm 71 I'm perfectly happy to queue along with everyone else because I'm thankfully fit and well.

Anyone who comes to our supermarket who cannot queue is, quite rightly, automatically taken into the shop ahead of other shoppers.

It’s good to be nice especially at the moment there should be more of it. With all this isolation and social distancing a kind gesture can go a long way.

What a lot of mean spirited buggers.

Sorry you hate disabled people.

it's YOU that has the problem.

Another poster who hates disabled people.

honestly in the great scheme of things, is it that important