Was I in the wrong to push in the queue ?

[crisikrinkles]

Went into the post office in our town.
It’s always packed and they had two serving.
I needed currency and places never normally have it without ordering.
I needed it that day as we were travelling at night (last minute I know )
There was probably 20 people in front of me.
I didn’t want to wait in the queue incase I stood there and they didn’t have it anyway.
So I went to a counter and just said “before I queue can I just check you have this currency “
A woman barked “there’s a queue !”
I explained I wasn’t pushing in,I was just checking they had something before I got to the back of the queue.
She shouted “ no you wait to ask questions “

was i in the wrong ?

Generally unreasonable, but no big deal if they were able to answer off the top of their head without having to check. You left it till the last minute, that doesn't excuse queue jumping.

If everyone did this then anarchy would break out. If ten people quickly ask a question that creates a wait for the next person in line.

It literally took a second
Do you stock this currency or does it need to be ordered ?
yes was the answer
I went in the queue which took 30 mins to reach the front.
it seemed ridiculous to wait 30 mins to ask a yes or no question if answer was no

That’s not a highly likely event but even if they did it might actually be helpful as it’d reduce the queue sooner if they don’t have want they want rather than looking at a huge queue and thinking that you’ll come back tomorrow when ten seconds to ask a question might mean it’s really half the size it appears, if they don’t have Dirham.

Well I wouldn’t have thought so but the other day I was at Lidl and there was a huge queue at one checkout.
I went to the cashier without queuing and asked for a trolley token as I’d forgotten mine.

it took less than 10 seconds to pass one over whilst the person at the front was still putting stuff on the belt so nothing was being scanned anyway.

I don’t think the majority of people were at all bothered but someone started making loud comments to the person with them about how impatient and rude people are these days and think they are too important to queue.

I was angry about the passive aggressive way they had said it without talking to me directly but then just decided to forget about it.

I didn’t think I was wrong either because it’s not making anyone wait any real extra time.

I people have changed over the last few years and become less tolerant towards others, I’ve heard others say similar and blame it on Covid so it’s not just me who thinks so.

Shame you chose Mumsnet to pose this question. You're going to get so many responses from the Head of the Rudeness Police.
It personally wouldn't have bothered me if I was in the queue and this happened.
If I were you, I also wouldn't give a shiny shit if the whole queue thought I was "rude".

Last time I queue jumped was in front of a bus load of German tourists in the Jersey Ferry from France. Oh it was glorious to see their shocked but passive reactions. The boarding queue was for three completely different destinations and I wasn't making the mistake of assuming everyone was going where I was. No one understood me when I said "is this queue for the Jersey ferry?" so I was like fuck it, I'm not waiting in this huge queue to find out it ain't going to Jersey. Turns out it was going to Jersey. Blown my mind that multiple people didn't know they were going to Jersey. 😂 I don't even think it's pronounced different in French or German.

But what if everyone in the queue just had a quick question? Plus the woman serving probably won’t know, so she’d have to check in some way. Then that would take longer in fact than something like buying a stamp. Annoying as it is I think you should have waited. Or just got it at the airport or from a cash machine when you get to your destination.

Op - was I being unreasonable?
Mumsnet - on balance yes
Op - no I wasn't

Why did you even bother to ask?

Surely you sbould say to the person at the front 'do you mind if I ask a really quick question before I queue as I am not sure they offer the service here that I need'. Then it's up to the lerson at the front to agree or not. And would have been more polite.

Well there you are then. You think you're not unreasonable. Why do you need to ask us? You were unreasonable BTW 🤣

"I needed currency and places never normally have it without ordering."

So why didn't you order it?

You will get a terrible exchange rate there and/or fees.

I don't think YABU OP. I wouldn't want to spend half an hour waiting in a queue only to find out that I'd been queueing up in the wrong shop and needed to go elsewhere!

I'd have done the same, although would have said to the person at the front "do you mind if I ask a quick question" first.

Yes, you were rude. What was your alternative if they didn’t stock the currency you wanted?

You made your problem into everyone else’s problem because you think your time is more precious than theirs. That’s a very selfish point of view.

What do you mean? Where I work, OOO means out of office.

I'm sorry to say I agree with the shouty lady really, as you're still taking the focus away from the person being served at the front, however if I was stood in that queue I wouldn't have shouted at you. Just silently would have thought it was a bit cheeky.

What was the ‘yes’ answering, do you have currency or does it need to be ordered?

This is a bit difficult - I don't think it's necessarily that rude to ask a quick question before joining a queue but I can see why some people might get irritated. Probably best not to, I suppose.
Rather than a post office, go to a bank, any bank, almost all of them will sell you foreign currency, some have dedicated foreign exchange windows. The post office seems like a worse option, given the number of people who have complicated things to do when they use it.
In addition, our Sainsburys also has a Bureau de Change, it can't be the only one that does.

Finally, your own bank might well offer you a better rate as a customer.

Of course it's not unreasonable to ask whether something is in stock before joining a half hour queue to purchase. If strangers think you are rude, so be it.

I was in my local Post Office 2 weeks ago and there was a big queue. They have 2 cashiers and one of those says 'Currency'. Now, I was fairly certain that I could bypass the queue and go straight to that counter, but due to my embarrassment I asked someone in said queue and he told me I had to wait my turn. When I eventually got to the counter, I was told I didn't need to wait, just make straight for Currency! I shall be brave next time!

Poppycock! A quick check of “do you have this” before I queue is fine.

Most post offices have a separate currency counter / queue though op, does yours not?

Yes very rude.

I had to wait 30 minutes the other day just to hand in a prepaid package to go. It took all of 30 seconds. Why is your time more important than the rest of us?

Why would you do that!? Ask the staff if anything not a customer 🤣

The difference was that you knew for sure that they could do what you needed

I just use my card for everything abroad anyway but beside the by, I can understand why you wouldn’t want to waste 30 mins in a queue to find they didn’t have something and I personally wouldn’t have been bothered by you doing this.