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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Slow clueless people holding up queues

497 replies

AuntyMargeAuntyFlora · 07/11/2023 10:38

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...

OP posts:
Pumpkinspicelattetime · 07/11/2023 12:58

TabithatheTabbycat · 07/11/2023 12:51

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

Unfortunately this isn't always the fast option. The last few times I've gone through heathrow it's actually been quicker to use the standard security lines. It's because they don't staff the fast track properly and it's not just a frequent flier thing - it's for anyone with a premium ticket, anyone who purchases a pass, and for those with children and accessibility needs.

The best is when there is a separate line for families and people with accessibility needs. So the people who need more help can get it and those who don't, don't get held up by those who do.

AnnaMasse · 07/11/2023 12:59

GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER · 07/11/2023 12:55

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. 😈

Do you suppose that might have happened somewhere like Oklahoma?

Allschoolsareartschools · 07/11/2023 12:59

CesareBorgia · 07/11/2023 10:52

My little annoyance is, if I am queuing in a cafe to buy a sandwich and a bottled soft drink, getting stuck behind people ordering complicated coffees which have to have this, that and the other added to them. It's OK if it's the sort of place where you stand to one side and wait for your coffee, but if there's one person going back and forth to make the complicated drinks and take payment, it drives me up the wall.

Oh gosh yes! Also trying to buy a simple drink anywhere that does cocktails as you'll be standing there for ages. I get irate & wish there was a separate place to wait at the bar!

hookiewookie29 · 07/11/2023 13:00

My pet hate.....people waiting at traffic lights who wait for the lights to change, then decide to put the car into gear and take the handbrake off before pulling off very slowly......
And. .
The petrol station near me is also an M&S.......that also serves coffee and pastries.....drives me mad when someone does a whole weeks shopping, or orders 6 coffees .....and all I want to do is pay for petrol! Can't understand why they don't have a till just for petrol payments!

GasPanic · 07/11/2023 13:02

TabithatheTabbycat · 07/11/2023 12:51

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

A lot of airports these days in the UK you can pay 10 quid for fast track or it is included on the more expensive ticket.

nonumbersinthisname · 07/11/2023 13:03

Stressedafff · 07/11/2023 12:39

People who’ll stand and hold a queue up in a shop talking to the person behind the desk. I’ve noticed this is mainly old people, and a lot of these annoyances are done by old people. It’s like they’ve no concept of time for others.

Often they don’t, it’s a common feature of cognitive decline. So I cut elderly, frail people some slack because that could be me some day.

Faffers on public transport like trains and planes are the ones that get me, who spend ages blocking the aisle sorting out bags and coats oblivious to the queue of people waiting behind them. Then just as they’re settled, one of them will leap up again and rummage in the overhead locker/shelf and it starts so over again. Planes in particular, you’ve usually had to wait ages to board so why not use the time to sort your stuff into put away/need at seat?

Bunnyhair · 07/11/2023 13:03

@Smellyshelley spot on. I'm sure we all long for the day we can finally stop 'rushing about' and 'huffing and puffing'.

AnnaMasse · 07/11/2023 13:05

Bunnyhair · 07/11/2023 13:03

@Smellyshelley spot on. I'm sure we all long for the day we can finally stop 'rushing about' and 'huffing and puffing'.

A word I really hate is 'faffing', when it is applied to me. I just take the time I need to sort myself out and get myself organised. It's other people that faff.

RosesAndHellebores · 07/11/2023 13:06

I don't look for my purse or get it out until all goods are packed and the tills been totalled. Getting your purse out while focusing on other things is a recipe for it getting nicked.

MrsMoastyToasty · 07/11/2023 13:07

My pet hate is people who try to enter a lift as soon as the doors open without
A. Waiting for people to exit it.
B. Pushing their pram/Nan/kids/shopping trolley ahead of them.

TabithatheTabbycat · 07/11/2023 13:07

Pumpkinspicelattetime · 07/11/2023 12:58

Unfortunately this isn't always the fast option. The last few times I've gone through heathrow it's actually been quicker to use the standard security lines. It's because they don't staff the fast track properly and it's not just a frequent flier thing - it's for anyone with a premium ticket, anyone who purchases a pass, and for those with children and accessibility needs.

The best is when there is a separate line for families and people with accessibility needs. So the people who need more help can get it and those who don't, don't get held up by those who do.

Which terminal is that? They seem pretty strict at T2

twinklystar23 · 07/11/2023 13:09

Think this thread should be on reddit, "am I the a*hole?!!"

BrimfulOfMash · 07/11/2023 13:09

RosesAndHellebores · 07/11/2023 13:06

I don't look for my purse or get it out until all goods are packed and the tills been totalled. Getting your purse out while focusing on other things is a recipe for it getting nicked.

Agreed: I just put my payment card and loyalty card and any vouchers handy in my pocket while standing doing nothing in the queue.

Wolfpa · 07/11/2023 13:09

This is one of my main bug bares in life especially people who wait in a queue for 10 mins and it doesn’t occur to them to think of what they are ordering/ get their payment ready until they are standing in from off the staff member.

twinklystar23 · 07/11/2023 13:09
  • arsehole
twinklystar23 · 07/11/2023 13:11

*not wolfpa before I get jumped on

SinnerBoy · 07/11/2023 13:12

pontipinemum · Today 12:48

Was the shoe spoon woman Eastern European? In Russian and Ukrainian, that's what they call shoe horns.

GrimGrinningGhosts · 07/11/2023 13:12

People who go through the swinging gate at my local Tesco, and then stop.
Had one this morning, through the gate, stop dead, faff about arranging bags in trolley, search wallet for club card etc. Meanwhile nobody else can go anywhere and many shouts of 'excuse me please' go ignored.

In fairness though, I blame my local Tesco for this as they chose to put their scan as you shop terminals to the left of the gate. There is plenty of room should people actually move to one side but for reasons I don't understand most just choose to stop dead.

SkinnyMalinkyLankyLegs · 07/11/2023 13:12

Manadou · 07/11/2023 10:59

What's wrong with 'money'?

What a strange response...

Wolfpa · 07/11/2023 13:15

RosesAndHellebores · 07/11/2023 13:06

I don't look for my purse or get it out until all goods are packed and the tills been totalled. Getting your purse out while focusing on other things is a recipe for it getting nicked.

So you are one of the people that doesn’t respect other people’s time. You don’t have to leave your purse for everyone to see just make sure you don’t have to route around your bag to find it. Get your payment method out and hold it while your purse is away. There are loads of options available to you to stay safe without putting other people out.

WonderingWanda · 07/11/2023 13:15

Can we add the people who stop at a bloody roundabout and wait for an invitation to go round it. The whole point of a roundabout is the traffic is meant to keep moving. Why do I always end up behind someone who stops at a clear roundabout and waits for traffic to approach it.

Fizbosshoes · 07/11/2023 13:18

SnakesandKnives · 07/11/2023 12:08

Ha me too, though it’s even worse when it’s a long queue in a cafe and then they get to the front to the seemingly shocking question of ‘what would you like to order’.

Personal favourite last week of the woman asked this question then taking out her phone and calling someone to ask what he wanted! We’d been queuing for at least ten minutes by this point

I often have to visit the post office for work. Its always really busy around 5.30pm. A woman was at the till with about 12 special delivery parcels and there was a huge queue.
After about 3 parcels the cashier and the customer were unable to read the address on the next parcel....so she had to call the person who had written the labels and ask , rewrite address, give to cashier and then they could enter the info.....then the same thing happened about 4 more times!! I don't know how the cashier kept their patience.

SenseFromThoughtDivide · 07/11/2023 13:19

I’m sorry, but I’ve not read all the replies but have we done people who use an ATM as if they are programming a supercomputer by following the step in My First Computer handbook

Fizbosshoes · 07/11/2023 13:21

AnnaMasse · 07/11/2023 13:05

A word I really hate is 'faffing', when it is applied to me. I just take the time I need to sort myself out and get myself organised. It's other people that faff.

I'm an Olympic level faffer but usually in the comfort of my own home when it's only me that gets annoyed (about wasting my own time!) 🤣

SapphosRock · 07/11/2023 13:23

There was a woman in M&S today happily chatting to the cashier asking him lots of questions about his life for a good 10 minutes while the queue behind her got bigger and bigger.

We all tutted and huffed but maybe he was the only person she spoke to all day.