To think this woman needs to stop jumping the queue every day?

[susanandlucypevensie]

My child's nursery has a queuing system and drop off can be painfully slow. You have to queue along the narrow path that runs from the car park at the back, down to the front door, with a fence the runs all along the path, then from the front door there is a gate that opens out onto the street and you can go. The manager on the door is an older lady and likes to take her time chatting to each parent, asking how the child is, getting a full handover, and if you don't get near the front nice and early you can be stood there for 20 minutes or more.
The path where we queue is wide enough for someone to stand, with or without a buggy.
There is one woman that turns up every day with one of those big, wide, side-by-side buggies for her two kids. She can't get it down the narrow path to queue, so she just goes straight to the front door to hand her kids over, where the manager will talk to her at length about each kid individually for ages. Today, she also wanted to discuss her funding so this took even longer.
AIBU to think she should bugger off with her double buggy and queue like everyone else? carry or put the one year old in a sling and get the 2 year old to walk or stand in the queue? It already takes forever and I find it really unfair she gets to queue-jump.

The system is crazy. I've never had a big queue at nursery drop off. That's nuts.

She shouldn't be skipping the queue, but maybe they let her for some reason you don't know about? They must see her skip the queue and never mention it so 🤷‍♀️

How do any of the parents get to work on time???

Is this a school nursery? Why is everyone dropping off at the same time? I used to drop-off anywhere between 7.15 and 8.30 depending on who was working where and who was taking DC to nursery. Is there only one drop-off window? It must take even longer at collection time.

I agree your anger is misdirected. The nursery have a ridiculous system.

Non parent here.
Are you paying for those 20mins each day during which your child is cared for by yourself, in the queue?

If so…
And everyone just accepts that?

If her buggy won't fit in the queue, then I wouldn't expect her to wrangle her children in and out of it just to play along with the silly system the nursery has in place. She's adding a few minutes to your wait, by cutting in, but that's only a drop in the bucket. Either grin and bear it or work with the other parents to find a polite but more insistent way to tell the actual cause of the bottleneck (the manager) that this system isn't working. This isn't the correct time or place for gabbing, however well-liked she is.

Is it an independent nursery? If not, then the solution is clear. You have tried addressing the problem with the nursery, now appeal to head office and mention the fact that the system is far more efficient when the deputy does the handovers.

@susanandlucypevensie and people need to use their words!! Hoi, the end of the queue is back there so off you toddle to the end!! I wouldnt put up with someone jumping in front of me every day or even any day!!

Oh no I'd have to say something about this. This type of shit drives me mad. We often have to queue in the car park for a car space and there are 2 dads that CONSTANTLY drive in, pass everyone out, abandon their cars haphazardly and go into the nursery. It boils my blood!

She gets away with it so why would she not continue to take the piss. Do both of her children attend the nursery???

Maybe bring in your own double buggy and insert pet/ doll/ random child in the empty seat and push your way to the front of the queue.

There would be a mutiny at my nursery if you had to wait to check your child in.

Definitely raise this with the nursery management. She is a CF for queue jumping every day and surely, chats about funding should be done in a discreet environment, not in earshot of others. What about if it’s raining……do mums and kids get wet through? And the heat lately can’t be pleasant to be standing around in.
I would be airy my views to this CF mother but I have no filters when people are taking the piss.

I couldn't cope with that queue! Nursery drop off is quick hand child to nursery staff and off to work, unless there's an actual message, what is there to say? I'd join her in getting to the front tbh.

I would do what she does. Walk to the front. Hand over the child and wish them a lovely day and leave.

People have jobs to get to! What a ridiculous system!

This sounds more like a preschool or school nursery where everyone starts at the same time - our preschool drop off was a bit like that with a long queue. It was otherwise fantastic and there aren't many options where we live so it was always still full. There were one or two kids with SEN who went straight in as they couldn't cope with waiting in the queue. Which was annoying when standing around in the pouring rain but understandable. Less understandable with the double buggy but it's not reasonable to expect parent to buy a different buggy just for that or get tiny little ones out for the queue.

Complain again and keep complaining until something changes. It's ridiculous when people need to get going to go to work or wherever.

The main person being unreasonable here is the manager. What is she thinking? And is this in all weathers? It's so unprofessional and unnecessary to talk to the parents at this time and in front of others. I would email and ask about improvements to the queueing system.

I agree with others (and you, I think) that the nursery needs to sort this out.
If they won't then you and others will have to vote with your feet and come in the same way she does,
Clearly this nursery will only see it as a problem when it becomes their problem.

Mine wouldn't be going to a nursery like that. How on earth do people get to work on time?

It isn't the woman's fault, it's a nursery issue. She shouldn't be expected to not use a double buggy when she has two small children.

Yes, if lots of you start jumping the queue, going to the front and saying "Sorry, need to get going", they'd soon have to do something about it. Make it much clearer that lots of you are not happy about how long it's taking for children to be dropped off.

Not her fault that the path doesn’t accommodate her double buggy. Honestly, I would do the same
in her situation (but would arrive early enough so that my place in the normal queue would have been close to the front anyway).

two issues:

queue jumper woman needs to be stopped. End of the queue this way love - and point to the end of the queue if she’s hard of thinking. Do not passively let this go on. I can imagine letting it happen once thinking it was a one off - more than once. NOPE.

second issue : I would not be queueibg for 20 minutes on a daily basis. Nope. 👎. Complain complain. Complain and then move if they don’t sort it out. I’m used to walking right in, having 1 minute hand over with key worker and walking straight out.

If you are paying, deduct payment for the time wasting. Make a point that by taking so long it is unfair to those who have to go into or back to work.

Or if complaints have been informal, do so formally.

It's not the fault of the person with the double buggy.

I’m angry on your behalf and I’m willing to volunteer to queue up and shout there’s a queue when she walks past.

Yes - I was going to say this - this exact thing including the older lady talking for ages was on a couple of months ago I’m sure.

She can't queue if she can't physically fit in the queue with a double buggy.