To think WTF has happened to the art of queuing?

[Eaglemom]

On holiday at a british seaside resort and I have been tutted at more times I care for, for goingnto queue up at along bar by simply finding a large space and standing there. I look behind and there is one long single file queue throughout the venue when there are plenty of tills spead out along the bar and plenty of staff. It's given me the rage- what is going on?

So you didn’t join the queue? I’m confused.

Because it's easier to have one long queue and the person goes to the till which is empty rather than loads of people crowding round the bar, so that the bar staff don't know who was there first?

Surely you look before you get in the queue to see what system is being used in the place you are?

Its an annoying trend. We brits do not queue at bars we move along the bar.

I queued in the way I always have for the last 40 years, heard the tutted and then had to join a ridiculous nonsensical version of a bar queue.

I think changed during COVID, spreading along the bar was seen as less safe than queuing in a line and leaving adequate space between each customer, and for some people it just hasn't gone back.

Not when queuing at bars for the last third of a century has been the same process.. no i didn't think to check if the etiquette had suddenly changed into something that makes no sense

I thought this had been the new queuing system for a few years especially in shops where they have lots of tills but one queue so maybe it's easier to adopt in bars.

It is very strange OP, but sometimes this phenomenon occurs at a bar - and I have no idea why!

Maybe once one starts it the rest follows? Why the one starts it i have no idea lol

There is probably a critical mass - once you get to three queues everyone assumes that’s the rule.

If i ever own a bar there will be clear instructions on how to do it properly!

They have one queue. You were rude. Not other people’s fault you misread the system.

Totally agree with this. It irritates the hell out of me when I go to a row of cashpoints and everyone forms a queues behind each one. Inevitably,I ALWAYS pick the slowest moving one,where someone in front of me appears to be withdrawing money for their entire extended family with half a dozen different cards. I usually end up queueing longer than people in the next queue who arrived long after me. I always think why not just form one queue and go to the cashpoint when it becomes free? Infuriating!

Nope.
If I'm at a bar I'm using bar protocol which has existed ever since bars were invented..

You don't form an orderly queue in a fucking pub/bar.... if there was an issue the bartender would have told her

Thank you and well said!

Sorry,the above post was agreeing with 2dogsand a budgie.

Its a pub.
We know the system after 40 years....

It’s been awhile since I queued at a crowded bar,but I’ve always remembered it as joining the back of the crowd, working your way to the front and waiting to catch the bar person’s eye.

And what the hell is it with men (and it nearly always is men) who think they can queue jump? Just a few minutes ago,I was standing at the till in the coffee shop waiting to order while the barista was making someone else's coffee. A man came in and stood next to me. When the barista came over to the till,he started placing his order. Thankfully,she said 'Sorry,this lady was here first'. Pisses me right off.

Yeah that was apparent. Totally disagree though.

i was surprised when I saw the one single-queue at the bar thing at a gig I went to. Lots of young people there and it seemed the norm to them.

It does make sense, and is fair and easier on the bar staff. But I kind of weirdly missed the old way! Calculating where to best stand, catching the bar-person’s eye (or trying to), chatting to others waiting, expecting them to say, “no, she was first” if they were served out of turn and vice versa. It was a whole thing that involved some skill and nerve!

Don't you know how busy and important they are! Ha!