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...

In the supermarket I use in France the chances are an older person will fanny about and then once the shopping has finally been scanned they’ll produce a chq book and the assistant has to print it for them, then they have to find a bank card to prove it’s them before signing.
To add in France the elderly, disabled and pregnant have the right to go to the front of the queue.

Perhaps there needs to be simpler, clearer regulations. And a lot less of them.
This would help us all and require less queuing and manpower.
Failing that maybe we all need more patience 😊

Very few people ime who hold up queues in the ways described here are doing so from a sense of arrogance or entitlement. Mostly they are unsure, unaware, or unclear about what they're supposed to be doing. The arrogance for me lies more in the assumption that because YOU are able to understand where your appointment is, navigate transport systems and know all about the little plastic bags at the airport anyone who doesn't is an inferior and a nuisance. If a queue is moving slowly then the people responsible for the queue should manage it. People don't always get things right and staff should be assisting them.

Airports are the worst. I was also a Rep (years ago), and when people came through arrivals we’d greet them and ask where they were staying etc (so we could direct them to the right coach/transport etc).

The number who had no idea, especially the men who would look at you blankly and say ‘dunno love, Majorca?’.

I did put some of it down to long days or early starts for some customers. Others were just a bit, dim really.

Definitely should be separate fast and slow queues most places.

Some have their reasons of course for being slow but there should be separate queues for this wherever possible.

I'm not particularly quick at the airport - I have everything ready but it's slightly different every time. Shoes off/on belt off/on jacket off/on etc, phone in or out of the bag. Then you can just get randomly picked up - one time I was scanned as my makeup bag had a mysterious film of powder on the inside - I wonder what that could be?

I take my time with self-scan tills and tills generally as it can be a great opportunity for distraction theft. Plus it always goes wrong if I put my bags on the scale somehow so I pack at the end.

If you are being an impatient twat you will get told to fucking wait. I have enough time, it's not my fault that you don't.

The point is that humans are being asked to do more and more with automated things that many people don't understand or don't use very often. And some of the tech is truly bloody awful to use and not user-friendly.

In September DH and I were on a motoring holiday in France so we used a few car parks. These were all pay and display. Don't know whether the French are not as used to this sort of car park as us but we were always amazed at the difficulty people seemed to have with the machines and the queue that built up as a result.

There wasn't anything particularly complicated about any of them. Press a button, enter your car registration, select how long you wanted to park, tap your card. Done.

Typical experience was a car park in Sarlat. When we arrived about three couples ahead of us in the queue. Each one took ages jabbing at the machine, peering at it muttering, before finally shrugging and wonder away shaking their heads. By the time we got to the front the queue extended some way along the car park. As we expected it was straight forward and we had our parking ticket within seconds. When we left the car park there were still people repeating the puzzled performance.

Oh and I should say we are in our 60s and I don't think any of the people we encountered having difficulties were much older than us.

This is my pet peeve, particularly people with massive suitcases who struggle to haul them off the escalator and then just linger in the area once they're off. It is so bloody dangerous at busy tube stations when this happens, but these idiots just stand there

It would be exceptionally. Unlucky for them both to.be afflicted .

This happened to me the other day, I already had cash ready, and my Debit card handy. But the bloody machine wasn't working only for Pay by phone. None of us had the app, and we were in a town where mobile phones don't get service. So even with the app they wouldn't be able to pay by phone.
I'm getting slower at the check out now. I get the groceries on the belt, get my phone ready and then it takes so long it turns itself back off so I faff to get it on again.
Things take time we need to be a bit more patient with each other.
The only one I do get really annoyed at is people stopping at the end of the escalator, I did shout at a lady ahead who stopped in M&S as I was coming up to bump into her I loudly said Don't stop and she budged out of the way quickly giving me daggers.

I prefer being around slow people than fast people tbh.

Recently came through an airport late at night with two small children we had to wake to get off the plane. Couldn't carry children as had lots of bags. So many bastard people pushing past us just to get to the passport queue 30 seconds sooner.

You never know what's going on with other people, the tedium of having to wait in these situations is a key test of being a civilised human.

Supermarkets and airports.

Specifically people who dont seem to realise thay you need to pay in a supermarket and the people who think that the massive, multi lingual signs in security do not apply to them.

Extra points if they are travelling with children and leave their ( usually female) partner to sort out the kids whilst still not managing to get themselves sorted.

My DH is a faffer in airports so I always take the lead and ensure that he is good to go once we get to the front of the queue.

arghh - Reception at GP the other week. FIFTEEN minutes of woman in front of me asking the same question three times over, then saying she's lonely and it's lovely to pop in and have a chat... before she starts on what holiday plans does receptionist have. There's a bloody community centre just around the corner.

& don't get me started on people that get on buses and expect the driver to help them plan their sight seeing tour for the day.
YANBU

Aaaaarrrrggghhh. There needs to be a frequent flier queue, and a separate slow imbecile queue

I sincerely hope you live somewhere very remote and people rarely have the misfortune of having to actually meet you.

OMG the woman who got on the bus in front of me this morning was at the stop when I got there, it was saying 4min until the bus was due, then she got on and started ferreting about in her Mary poppins style handbag trying to find her bloody purse to pay!

I had the opposite that I was making a boring mundane apt at the Dr recently when I noticed a woman very close behind me as if she wanted to barge in front.
In the end she did, but she was v distressed and wanted urgent help. I said I was happy to let her go ahead but the receptionist was insistent they would deal with me first. In the end I felt so bad and stressed out that I was delaying her, I agreed to an apt I knew I couldn't make, just so they could speak to her

Ha! I always think this too. #smug (but I'll probably be dottery quite soon as I'm getting old)

Yep.definitely supermarket, s when it comes as surprise to.people that they have to pay ,and start varying around getting their purse/ card out then tokens for a penny off etc.

I work in a hotel and was checking someone in a little while ago and someone else came up to the desk while I was mid conversation
"Can I just interrupt to ask (generic question that was in no way urgent)?"
I replied with
"I'm just dealing with these guests and I'll be with you in a moment" politely and with a smile.

Scathing email to my boss about how lacking in customer service I am. How rude I was, how they're a paying customer. And a complaint from the person I was checking in about being interrupted. Because apparently as someone in customer service it's my fault other people behave like arseholes 🤔 and I should take the blame for it.

We've got that wonderful mantra "The customer is always right" to thank for it, customers at least used to have some respect for each other, if none for the staff they dealt with, now there's not even that. And no one is able to take responsibility for their own behaviour or emotions, nor direct their anger and frustration to the people actually causing the issue - that's to be blamed on the customer facing staff because there's less likelihood of retaliation.

And then you have people 'confused' at why there's a lack of people willing to do these jobs and moaning because there's been a drop in service levels. No wonder really no one wants to subject themselves to it really is it?!

Not everyone is as fast or clever as you.

My annoyance is people who get on an escalator and then just stand there in the middle or 2 people that stand side by side blocking up the space so no one can pass by, totally oblivious to the fact that some of us actually have places to be.

Either that or call their partner to ask at length what they want to eat for supper

I'm glad to see the people are becoming aware of the shocking ageism on Mumsnet. It makes it more interesting trying to spot it. "Mary Poppins handbag" is a good one!🤣

What, both of them?

Well outside of the tube, there is no etiquette for standing and passing on escalators, and I think YAB a bit U. In fact, it's more efficient for the public as a whole to stand on both sides than it is to queue to stand only on the right.