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 would never push you out of the way because I am not a twat, but why on earth would you expect people to be as slow as you are!

My plane has landed, I want to get out, but end up wasting time with the bloody faffers who take ages blocking the aisle. You are not in a rush? Leave the ones who are leave! Get out of the way!

they might have a connecting flight
they might have one late train and nothing left until the following morning
they might have a sick kid and want to jump in a taxi
they might have a million reasons why they need to hurry

And repeat in the airport. There's absolutely no benefit whatsoever in being stuck in the queue at passport control, or late to be in the taxi rank, none.

Just let people go through.

Dave Allen proposed a 'THIS IS THE ARSEHOLE QUEUE' sign in all public businesses and facilities, which I always thought sounded a very good idea.

(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

They may have had the appointment time changed via a second letter or phone call they've not had - happened to my relatives - and they shrug like it's your problem even with letter with original time and date.

Also the go somewhere else - we don't drive going somewhere else isn't always straight forward. Brother had it turned up to his appointment oh you'll need to go to a different hospital by end of day - involved two buses and a train - he was on sick leave low on money - no idea where the next hospital was - he was left trying to work out whether they'd know who he was and do something of he went and if he could get a lift or borrow money from family.

We've had it will flu injection for 16/17 year old - staff need extra certification and we made it very clear age we are booking for - get there oh there off today - try x place - £10 on taxi there on off chance. Well can you ring and see if they are there - no.

I do get annoyance though - remember train station ticket machine out and man was asking long complex travel questions about multiple possible destination with queue out the door - taking no notes and at end of questions asking first one again as held forgot answer - and people getting increasingly vocal about missing trains - made our journey worse as we missed our first one as well.

Bloody supermarket apps - Asda and Lidl amongst the worst offenders! Mrs Technophobe waits til all her shopping is packed then decides to get phone (which is in a case with a flip open cover) out and look for app, swiping left and right like a demented tinder addict. Eventually she just hands the phone over to the cashier to look... he then hands it back cos she hasn't got wifi/mobile data enabled. By the time it's sorted and she's saved 3p on her £80 shop I've lost the will to live...

Oh, also the ones who, when they've taken an age to pack and pay for their shopping, stand at the checkout rearranging what they've literally just put into bags, then begin folding the unused bags like they're doing origami.

Just move away to the back of the checkouts and do it there, for god's sake! You can take your time and you aren't holding anyone up.

According to MN threads it's because some women can't park without an adjacent car to line up against. What are they like tinkly laugh

@Stressedafff yet we see survey after survey saying older people are the loneliest they have ever been, and that has direct health consequences and causes depression. If they chat for 2 min, as long as not for hours and hours, then that's ok. Stop rushing around.

Strangely since stopping rushing like crazy and huffing and puffing, my life works absolutely fine. These situations tend to take 2 min, 30 seconds, a minute and a half to wait extra, not substantial hours or entire afternoons. The staff are usually working as hard as they can during that time.

Great for those that can keep up, one day you might be the older person who has arthritis so struggles with their purse, or cognitive damage so don't quite hear what people are saying. Use your compassion and hope others use it for you in your turn.

Ditto groups of people who spread out and fill the whole pavement with the same result.

People who block doorways or walkways to look at a phone because they just heard a beep or whatever. Ffs just step to the side, no one is asking you to rush or move, just be courteous.

I agree.

Its why I feel so sorry for people who are ND.

Yes they may look ‘normal’ but for some people it can take a long time to process information and find it harder to understand what you mean.

They could have just gone through a traumatic experience and still be in shock.
Or one could be ill and the other have a different unconnected illness/disability/ anxiety.

OP said they were told to go to another department immediately, they kept staring at each other and kept needing things repeating - they obviously weren’t intentionally trying to be difficult.

If they had been shouting at the receptionist and holding up the queue then fair enough, but it’s very obvious that these women needed additional support for some reason.

This.

I'm 35, and if the person ahead of me is chatting to the till person, I usually think of it as an excuse to have a chat too, if they are willing. A funny thing, I've just thought, is that I might notice the person in front in the queue, but those behind, well, pfffft!

I was in a shoe shop the other day, the assistant helping me was good but very young (mention because of inexperience). While helping me another woman came over demanding 'the spoon, the spoon' figured out eventually she wanted the shoe horn.

I ignored her, but the poor sales assistant sort of mumbled and started helping her. I was finished anyway. I wish I had told the woman I was being served and she could wait. Then told the sales assistant that it's OK to tell another customer to wait whilst serving someone else, but that she was doing a great job.

"It's so much nicer, you should try it!"
People making comments like this one. Suggesting that people should just allow more time and not get stressed. Seriously. We don't all HAVE more time. For example I leave work, have to rush to the train. It's about a 15 minute walk. I finish at 5, train is 5.20. so I have 5 minutes to spare. If there is some dipstick holding everyone up at the ticket barrier, I will potentially miss my train. This train only just gets me into my local station just in time to basically jog (well speed walk at least) in time to pick up my kids from after school club before it closes at 6. You know what happens if I'm not there by 6.30 (which is what time I'd g t there if I did miss it)? They'd call social services to collect them unless they were able to get hold of one of my emergency contacts and have them get to the school before that. So no, sorry I haven't got time to be more patient. Just be bloody ready with your card when you get to the barrier and stop holding everyone else up. And if you can't do that then please move aside for people that haven't got all day.

"I’ve noticed this is mainly old people, and a lot of these annoyances are done by old people."

Not even coded! You're supposed to say "done by people with Mary Poppins handbags"

My plane has landed, I want to get out, but end up wasting time with the bloody faffers who take ages blocking the aisle. You are not in a rush? Leave the ones who are leave! Get out of the way!

Too much "hand baggage" these days. IMO if it can't be carried in your hand/over your shoulder/on your back it is not hand baggage and should go in the hold.

I had one tosser today holding up a petrol queue because he had decided to go shopping in the little tesco there.

Then took forever at the counter. Then when got to car proceeded to put one thing at a time in the back seat then got in front seat and fannied about a bit more. Arrghh!

There is - the Fast Track? If you have FF/gold status with any of the major programs you should be able to access it?

My only local supermarket (I use the term loosely) pride themselves on helping the customer. One woman in front of me sent the only checkout person on 3 separate errands for her!! The girl would get back sit down, scan the item and then cust would say 'oh and I also need olive oil' and off the assistant goes again .

I like to support local, but 90% of our food comes from Tesco delivery now

What gets me is some people's gormless lack of awareness of themselves, of space around them and the impact they're having on the rest of the world. Or lack of being bothered about anyone else at all.

There are times when i know i'm being slow because of whatever, but i'll move to the side to get out of the way a bit, or say ''Look, serve this lot first because i'm faffing about''.

If you can't help being in the way at least acknowledge it. As soon as someone says ''Sorry i'm being a slow bugger'' 99% of folk will tell them it's ok and mean it.

Could well have been the same car park! And yes we too experienced the same thing almost everywhere, which is why I wondered if these sorts of machines were newly introduced.

I wish airlines would police that.

Thankfully a few have started charging for bigger hand luggage, but it doesn't stop people blocking an entire plane because they can't grab a jacket and a bag over their head in less than 10 minutes. It's puzzling how people can be so damn slow, and insensitive to anyone else.

Yes, it makes me glad of the gun laws in this country, otherwise I swear I’d be doing time by now, for having machine-gunned a queue of maddening, dithering faffers. 😈

People who start packing their shopping only after they've paid at the self check out need banned for life IMHO.

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

I've been saying this for years.

Unless it's a newer system, most will need you to separate liquids, and no you can't take your 1.5L bottle of water through even if you put it in a tray by itself. Yes, your laptop needs to come out of your bag and its case. And if you're wearing platform shoes that could rival Gene Simmons' in KISS, you may need to remove your shoes too. It's been like this for 20 years, for crying out loud.