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 once had this happen to me in tesco
Pregnant (i was that big,people thought i was having very large twins,so not exactly nimble of my feet) a half full trolley in front of me and going up
Some woman just stopped at the top-didnt glance round,look in her bag-nothing,she just stopped
I ended up crashing into the back of her (even though I had shouted 'excuse me!' a few times) and I fell over as we collided
Silly cow just stood there screaming at me for not being more 'careful'
There was nowhere else for me to go-she could have got to the top and moved one whole step in any direction and everything would have been fine
Ended up in hospital (everything was fine) but I'll never forget her face as she screamed and spat in my face as I was trying to get back up off the floor

I agree with this.

Unfortunately we live in age where people have become accustomed to instant gratification, everything at their finger tips "right now".

They've forgotten what that done situations required being prepared and don't comprehend what that actually entails.

(Looking at you DS15!!)

I'm still traumatised by spending 15 minutes in Boots trying to buy a sandwich while the assistant explained the concept of a cold to the perfectly articulate guy in front of me.

'oh, so should I take painkillers?'

She actually walked him to the cold section and talked him through each medication as the queue reached out the doors.

It was like watching a Pinter play.

How is Mary Poppins bag ageist? It's just describing a cavernous bag, I have a few and I'm youngish.

Mine is when queueing at the bus stop and it's busy, why do people not have their change or bus pass pass ready beforehand. They know the bus is coming, it's not a surprise to anyone. But no, they wait until the bus is here, get on and fanny about looking for money/pass in their bags

@SawX

What are they like tinkly laugh

I hear a lot about this tinkly laugh thing - is there a Youtube video or something that would teach me how to do it, because it sounds like fun?

I think we were behind the same family in my local Greggs on Sunday !!!

There's no shame in wanting more social contact than you actually get, but it's the individual's responsibility to improve her social life. Random busy people are not a support system.

@Stressedafff

For many of our senior demographic, this may be the only interaction they have with another actual person and a shopping trip is the highlight of their day/week.

Cut them some slack and remember that one day, you may too be lonely or isolated and grateful for a friendly face and opportunity to pass the time of day.

Yanbu I do wonder how some people dress themselves in the morning

Whatever their circumstances, if other people are in danger of missing appointments because they can't book in in time the slow women needed to be better managed. The person behind the counter should have said 'Sadly you've missed your appointment. I've tried to explain what you need to do now. There's a large queue of people all with appointments behind you so please, go and sit down over there for a few minutes while I get them booked in. I or another member of staff will come and explain to you again once we've cleared this queue.'

Particularly when it comes to things like appointments and plane departures, you can't hold everything up to accommodate the circumstances of the slowest.

Lots of people may have issues which prevent them from adulting in public efficiently, it's true.

But equally, lots of people are like my mother and step mother, two articulate, healthy women who don't notice that other people exist. They faff, they pootle, the dally at cafe counters and their all time favourite, they refuse to choose what they want when eating out until the waiting staff get weary of coming over and we force them to make a bloody choice. 'oh, oh, I can't decide' etc etc as if nobody else is there.

Especially if they stand in the middle of the aisle with their respective trolleys left broadside behind them completely blocking the way!

In most of the Greggs I go in, you can't actually fully see what is actually still available until you get near the till. Due to people being in the way. But I agree. I know that I want a sausage roll, a flat white, and a Belgian bun. It's just whether they are still there, and if not, what will I have instead. Steak slice and custard slice*...

*Please don't judge!

I have not RTFT but my bugbear is those people who get on the travellator thing at the airport and then just stand there (usually blocking the lane with their bags). These things are there for you to get to the destination quicker, not to stand there like a sheep because you can't be bothered to walk.

I probably qualify as a member of the 'senior demographic' and if ever I start telling my life story to a complete stranger while he's trying to get on with his job, he has my full permission to shut the conversation down. Preferably with a bit of lead piping to the back of my head.

Local decorating place couldn't work out if it was the people behind the two tills or the two customers being served - and others in queue - it was like a mix of watching the slower characters in Dinner ladies and open all hours - the random meanders and abrupt turns in conversations - no-one was old but it was frustrating and funny at same time.

After 15 minute waiting with no end in sight just to buy some brushes and tape - left and ordered on-line where even with delivery it was cheaper.

Would it also take you a while to process that there's a massive fuck off queue building up behind you?

See this kind of impatience boils my piss.

They are usually lonely and also brought up in an era where people were much more open to conversation with strangers - unlike modern times where people refuse to even open their front door unless it's been pre-arranged.

I had an older lady in front of me recently, she was taking her time struggling to get her purse and money out.

The lady behind me kept huffing and tutting loudly. After the 3rd time I told her to shut up and have some patience because she'd be old one day.

I fly for work so do airport security fairly regularly. Last time I flew, the man at security said 'you've done this before, you're an expert!' when he saw my artfully arranged phone, ipad, laptop, kindle, shoes and liquids baggy in my box. I was riding off of that high for days! 😂

My late Dad, who was in his 90s when he died, was punctilious about not holding up other people. He always had his card ready in the supermarket and to board the bus. In fact he used to grumble about the ‘silly old fools who wait ages for the bus then fumble in their bags for their purse and then fumble in their purse for their pass. Why couldn’t they have done it in the time they were waiting for the bus?’ He was nearly always older than they were.

Love your dad. I'm the same. I think you're either the organised/ think-ahead type or you're not but it's something that most people with any self-awareness can learn. I think the problem is the number of people who are oblivious of their impact on others, as this thread indicates in spades.

I recently took a return bus trip. Waiting at the bus stop to come home I found the return part of the ticket in my bag and had it ready when the bus arrived. Flashed it at the driver who said 'I don't know what that is, but it's not your bus ticket.' Utter mortification of having to rummage in my wallet to look for the real ticket. I apologised loudly to the entire bus for holding them up on their journey, but the shame hung over me for hours.

It’s hardly impatience if you’ve somewhere you need to be, and nip in a shop for something which should take 25 seconds.

For all those people up in arms about 'being kind', there are times when I'm not sure about what I'm doing but there's nothing wrong with letting people go first and then going back to the person at reception if you're still not sure. You don't have to let everyone go before you; just the people who can get seen to allow you the time to think and then you can go back to finish your query.

Face it- they're just fucking useless!

Same thing with me - I was travelling with a toddler but still made sure all electronics and liquids were out of the bags and ready to be put in bins. Our pram was folded down in one quick movement. Coats were removed whilst in the queue so no faffing. Pockets were checked prior to the front the queue and anything was dumped in our bags.

If I can do it with a toddler, I am not sure why it takes a single person with one bag of liquids 5 times as long. Even if it is your first time flying there is literally signs everywhere and the staff shouting to everyone in the queue. It is not rocket science.