Slow clueless people holding up queues

[AuntyMargeAuntyFlora]

What is it with these people?

My latest experience was at a walk-in centre. Only two women ahead of me in the queue to book in. Goodness knows what they were doing, most of it seemed to be standing there looking at each other before saying a few quiet words to the receptionist who had to keep explaining the same things to them (that they had missed their appointment and needed to go immediately to another hospital if they wanted to see x department). Then they'd stare at each other again. Occasionally one would half-heartedly search in a bag or look at their phone. Absolutely no sense of urgency at all, and apparently oblivious (despite glancing in our direction several times) to the massive queue gradually building up behind them. By the time the queue had almost reached the door, another member of staff was called to come and help book everyone else in, and these two women were still slowly doing nothing.

I don't mind if someone has genuinely got a difficult query/situation that takes ages to unpick, or if they are perhaps elderly/overwhelmed/etc and these things take longer. But its usually these people who are first to apologise for holding up the queue or even suggest others go ahead!

What I'm talking about is the entitled people who don't seem to register that other people exist, and who ponder and confer at a snail's pace, oblivious to any sense of urgency of the queue building up. I can imagine someone coming in with a serious injury, and these two women glancing over periodically as the person bleeds everywhere and slowly collapses, as they carry on with their inane time wasting non-query...

I’m going to come stay at yours before my next flight, okay?

With my whole family.

I can’t believe people actually think the entire world revolves around Heathrow airport 🙃

So I take it you won't giving up your pension, bus pass free prescription then when you retire, after all the money you paid in was spent long ago. I hope you won't mind being stuck in your house at lunchtime either because as you say pensioners shouldn't do anything when workers have their break.

People at airport checkin counter who decide to unpack and pack their luggage holding up the queue.

I agree, I think it's appalling.
One day all these people will get older themselves with less than perfect eyesight, hearing and mobility. Let's see how that goes shall we 😕

🤣

Agree 💯

Well said.

I doubt that universal pensioner benefits will be anywhere near as generous when I reach retirement age!

As for going out holding people up at busy times, I don't do that now anyway, as I do my utmost to do things at less busy times. I read signage and listen to announcements at airports so know what to put in the boxes at airport security and know to have boarding pass and/or passport ready at each stage. On days off, I'd avoid busy places like food/sandwich shops and lunchtime as I know they'll be busy. I do all that now, like not standing still blocking shop doorways or escalators. Not sure why I'd have some kind of personality change upon retirement which would force me to become a pain in the arse. And if I did find myself holding people up, I'd fully accept a bit a eye rolling and tutting from people who were genuinely in a hurry.

And I take my ageing mother shopping at quiet times of the day/week. She was in the habit of going out Saturday morning because she'd always done it, not because she needed to. And like lots of older people, she used to whinge endlessly about how busy it was, queues, etc. When she became too infirm to go shopping on her own, I decided to take her on a different day. She hated it at first as she had "the stress" of thinking about planning different days, but as I pointed out to her, she had all sodding week to plan and write her list! Now we go at quieter times and it's far better for all and all she says now is how quiet is it compared with how it used to be. She just can't seem to grasp she CHOSE to go at the busiest time of the week for no reason at all!

YANBU - ditherers drive me up the wall. What’s difficult about just get in, get on, get out? No need for faffing - get organised it’s not hard

The one that always gets me is people at bus stops waiting and then only decide to look for their pass once the bus has arrived. Christ you have anywhere from a few mins to 10 mins to get it out!!

Same at train stations, your standing on an escalator you know you are going to get off and ahead of you are the barriers, why not get your bloody pass out ready

Mine is people who only seem to realise after their shopping has been scanned and piled up that they need to pack it away and actually pay for it. 5 minutes later they’re still putting stuff in bags and fumbling around for their purse.

I'm older and deaf so already get the hate.

Stairs! If you want to move faster than the escalator, use the stairs!

It's the equivalent of retard. It's interesting that it has somewhat stayed in use, but if that poster had used retard, they'd have been pounced on. A lot of people won't use it, or cretin.

Outside of London escalators aren't for walking up. It's perfectly acceptable to get on and stand.
Because someone is retired doesn't mean that they aren't a carer, fosterer, or childcare. They could still be working or have a slow start of a morning because of meds, but pain etc builds, buses are fewer later on, don't like to be out in the dark etc, so shop midday.

Thankfully there's always someone who comes along who has more awareness of possible disabilities.

Your dad sounds lovely. I hope I'm like him if I live to his age.

This is not always about age. In fact, I find the people who have the least sense that they are SHARING public space with others are teenagers- and also young children.

But when young children have NO sense of how they are getting in other people’s way, I blame the parents - particularly those who allow their DC to use scooters on a busy pavement. Ir familiywho think they have the right to walk four abreast and bugger anyone else who wants to walk on the pavement.

@Taylorswiftserastour

I've been complimented at lidl for my speedy packing, that's said he knows me I'm a regular. I hope there aren't dithery people in the queue for Taylor Swift next year!

@FarEast "This is not always about age."
On Mumsnet it is.

Does it really matter?

People who whinge and whine and tut rather than helping or being patient. Seems everybody wants everything immediately these days. Patience is a virtue few possess.

@Ponoka7 escalators are moving staircase, they are for walking up. If you don't want to walk up you move to one side and let others pass or use the elevator instead. This applies to outside of London, even outside of the UK. If you went onto an escalator in France and plonked yourself in the middle and didn't move you would be very politely told to move over and let others pass ( and most of the time not politely ) when you get to to top you move quickly away to allow the traffic to keep moving and flow

People that do a mini shop at a petrol station while blocking the pump do my twat in - pay for your fuel, move to a parking space then do your shopping (especially if there’s a queue).
My local petrol station now has a Subway, so the forecourt is usually littered with cars while the lazy bastard fill their faces.
Really annoying!

It’s pretty obvious that this approach doesn’t work for everyone - it’s great when point A can be left early (for example leaving the house if you haven’t got kids to take to school) but most interaction timings are dictated by a set of circumstances at either end - for example only having 30 minutes lunch break, having to drop kids off etc.

It’d be great if we could all leave early for everything, but it’s not practical in 90% of situations.