AIBU to be frustrated at this trend of turning nice places into queues?

[Emori]

I've noticed this phenomenon across Europe, specifically in Italy, Spain and Greece in the past year where I've been somewhere on a day out, tourist attractions so obviously always going to be busy with lots of people taking photos etc, now there's an additional queuing etiquette which is something else. It's like there are certain points within the attraction where people get fucked off with you just walking around like a normal person and instead expect you to stand in a line to take a photograph. Even though there's no official signs to such effect. I find it really spoils my enjoyment, appreciation and concentration. Am I alone in this?

Why not? I am not usually a big photo taker/don't feel need for a photo of everything in the slightest . But this was a special day out with my children and we wanted to commemorate it. It was just as special to me as if we had climbed it. I used to love hill walking and not being able to is a big loss.

Constant Instagram type photos I understand the objection, but it's pretty normal and human to take a snapshot on a family day out.

My illness means I may not live as long as others . I also spend a lot of time housebound. I fail to see why I shouldn't celebrate and photograph getting the chance to be at the top of a mountain.

I live near a tourist town and a few weeks ago there was a man down on one knee proposing to his girlfriend in front of one of the main attractions. Lovely, except for there was a person stood opposite with a phone taking their photo and they all faffed about for an age getting their shots, angles and light in the right direction and the bride to be even trying out a variety of facial expressions and asking the "photographer" if she should try looking shocked or emotional. Then they got their Instagram shots and all wandered off. The whole thing felt utterly soulless.

Drives me mad too. I’ve lost the rag twice with this nonsense, once in the railway museum in York. A dad was taking umpteen photos of his son on one of the trains, he was on the steps outside of the Pullman and I was waiting patiently for him to come down so I could go up for a look. He must have taken upwards of 30 photos and kept barking directions at the boy. I eventually thought “bugger this” and walked up, ruining any further photos.

Second time was The Charles Bridge in Prague. A woman with 3 little girls who were dressed like princesses was blocking most of the street taking instagram photos and videos. The girls looked so bored and miserable, several people gave the mum withering looks.

You can see the whole dynamic of the relationship, can't you? They both think he's punching above his weight... next, it'll be a big, public (filmed, of course) proposal, then a wedding that costs more than a house, with five hen holidays abroad, twenty bridesmaids, every guest told to wear matching colours, no one fat or ugly or disabled allowed, and the groom relegated to a bit part...

In fact, it'll be the proposal that @AnAlpacaForChristmasPleaseSanta describes above! 😂

In ye olden days there was an etiquette about this. People would use their cameras to take one or two reasonably quick shots and others would do them the courtesy of waiting for the few seconds until it was done. Of course even then there were camera wankers, setting up their tripods and taking ages to frame the perfect view, but the effort of lugging the paraphernalia around meant they weren’t in great numbers. Oh and generally it was scenery shots, much less of this having the person as centre view covering the Grand Canyon or whatever is behind them.

Some people now seem to have complete disregard for these conventions and hog the spot for ages in ridiculous inappropriate clothing. I now take a bit of malicious delight in walking straight in front of the phone if I feel the whole scenario is taking too long. Plus who actually wants to see it, same with people who hold their phones up to record an entire concert, rather than just - you know - enjoying it for the moment.

Generally it feels priority should be given to the people who are at the place trying to enjoy it, whether that be looking at exhibits or buildings or views, over the people trying to turn it into a photo shoot. Snapshots are fine, but posed pictures that mean other people can’t actually experience the place they have paid to be in for the reasons they are there are just selfish indulgence. Especially when people seem to be there purely for the photo and not to really enjoy being there for its own sake.

A photo at the top of Snowden when it’s not easy to have got there is great - forcing a queue of people to wait so there’s no one else in that photo meaning others don’t actually get to say they’ve made it to the top because they didn’t want to queue would be the issue.

This reminds me of my brother in law and his wife who disappeared for 4 hours in the middle of their wedding to have a photo shoot - including cake cutting photos where they were just cutting a fake cake!! What is the point ?!

That's far more stupid than a snapshot somewhere nice, something people have done ever since cameras were invented

I was recently at an exhibition where there was a sign saying that there was no specified order and you could wander around and not queue, which my friend and I duly did, but the majority still slowly shuffled around in a queue.

So it looks like places have spotted this trend and are trying to mitigate it, but most people are total sheep.

Its a reflection of the move towards prioritising the recording that you've had an experience over the experience itself.

Live in a tourist hotspot, especially in the summer. I don't deliberately go out of my way to walk into shots or out of them. I live here and somebody's IG shot isn't more important than my daily life.

Well said OP. 👏👏👏👏

The sheer conceit and vanity of people these days is astounding. Stop pouting you stupid, vain idiots . Nobody wants to see your boring photos.

Try Van Gogh Starry Night at the Museum of Modern Art where everyone is pushing and shoving to even see it and it’s an absolute free for all, you’ll wish they’d learned how to queue.

Actually just remembered an awful experience where friend and I were at a spa. We are both middle aged and conscious of our less than perfect bodies. Idiot comes into the salt room and starts filming his experience.I don’t think he deliberately wanted to flabby oldsters clogging up his instagram feed, but we happened to be there and it took all the pleasure out of the experience.They do have signs up about not bringing phones around, but the young people are so addicted they can’t manage for an hour or so without them, or without showing people what they are up to.

Tell me that’s AI!! I’d heard it was busy at the top, I last did it over 30 years ago and it was nothing like that. We were contemplating going again but I may go for cadyr idris instead.

I work in central London and often cross London Bridge and the Millennium Bridge in the course of my daily business. I accidentally photo bomb a lot of perfectly composed photoshoots.

In the words of Katy Perry - are we crazy, living our lives through a lens?

Eurgh I went to Rome a few years ago and wanted to just look at the historical sites but there was constantly a selfie stick in my face or people asking me to move so they could take a selfie. NO! We are such a disgustingly vapid society now. Getting the odd picture here and there for the memories, fine. All this posing bullshit - no way.

Like a PP I was in Paris in summer. I was stopping to let people take their photos - in galleries, museums, on the street... was a pain in the bum. But DH just said sod that, it's too busy people can't expect the world to stand still for them. I decided he was right and we just proceeded to do what we wanted and not make eye contact with annoyed instagrammers!
I remember seeing the Mona Lisa 50 years ago as a child. People crowded and semi-queued to SEE it then; now they do that to photograph it.

Also my brother's DW works in the wildlife filmmaking industry. She says so many people come to these amazing places to see a species she's filming, snap a quick selfie in front of them (eg a gorilla) and then go. No interest in the animals whatsoever. So depressing.

Once I was in Westminster Abbey stood looking up close on the details of Sir Isaac Newton’s tomb. It’s kind of on the wall and there’s lots of interesting carvings with interesting symbolism.
A woman came over to me and asked me to move as she “was trying to take a photo”. I was so stunned when I turned round to see her hapless husband waiting with camera in hand for her and her daughter to pose…in front of a grave. It’s the assumption that their right to take a photo trumps others right to look at and experience their surroundings.

It's fun to stand behind these people and gaze at the view/scenery/building.
Make them wait bit longer.
I may start packing sandwiches and sitting down.

People expecting you to accommodate their social media BS give me the rage. No, I will not stand around while you arrange the perfect shot. Fuck off.

Recently went to a place of worship and there was a family doing a selfie with the idols! Unbelievable!! What’s even the point??!!

You are being unreasonable. There is nothing more Briitsh than a decent queue. It's these anarchist ideas of just walking where you like that is driving Reform's popularity. We want to go back to traditional british views, appreciating queueing, not having hallumi anywhere near an English breakfast etc.