Why do we act like its a national crisis when someone cuts the queue?
Posted by adgegand@reddit | AskABrit | View on Reddit | 21 comments
Seriously, if you’ve ever seen a Brit react to someone skipping the line, you’d think they’d committed an international war crime. We’ll glare, sigh dramatically, and then mutter under our breath like we’re auditioning for a Shakespearean tragedy. Outsiders, you don’t get it. It’s the sacred rule. Change my mind.
Boldboy72@reddit
It literally should be a crime. The fucking shamelessness of cutting in front of people who are waiting patiently and civilly for their turn.
I say we bring back the public stocks.
ChemicalOld5047@reddit
All in favour of bringing back the stocks say 'Aye'
Bandoolou@reddit
Finally a use for the vegetables I always buy but never eat.
Boldboy72@reddit
Aye times infinity.
People need to learn shame again, seems to have been forgotten
zombiejojo@reddit
AYE
kararmightbehere@reddit
Is queuing just a British thing? I thought it was a universal practice. Fully serious here
Toraden@reddit
Yes and no? Like the concept of a queue is pretty universal, but it's a legitimate things that Brits will queue for shit.
An actual first hand example of this. I volunteered to help at a convention some number of years ago, it was RTXL, the Roosterteeth youtube channel convention when it was first held in London. They had scheduled some of the biggest panels in specific halls and the staff (not volunteers, the American staff running the con) kept being told off by the convention hall staff, because people were blocking all the walkways in the venue queueing for the panels...
Now, bare in mind, there was a specific "queueing area" that was inside the hall, where they would let people in like 15 minutes ahead of the panel, but people were queueing up to join the queue when it opened.
They just weren't used to that, when they ran the same con in the states people wouldn't just... Stand around for 30 minutes on the run up to a panel in order to make sure they got in. They were exasperated and messages kept being sent out over the convention app to tell people to not queue in the hallways.
It didn't help.
Impressive-Safe-7922@reddit
People definitely queue in other countries as well, but not quite to the same extent/as seriously we do. It's fun seeing what form queues can take though. I was travelling in Togo (West Africa), and we had a seated queue - everyone moved seats every time the person at the front of the queue got called up to the counter. The overflow queue (because there weren't enough chairs) was more like a queue in the pub, with everyone remembering who was before them/who had arrived after them, so that the right person could fill the seat when it became available.
Ashwah@reddit
I think it's a mix with other countries? Some do, some don't, some change to it. It did seem to change in Poland over the course of a few years- or at least in Warsaw. I visited a friend there about 15 years ago and there didn't seem to be any queueing- it was everyone for themselves! When I visited last year there was much more queueing evident.
captainclipboard@reddit
We believe in rules. It is a violation of the rules.
loveswimmingpools@reddit
Queues are fair. I love that we do this . No one can take away our queuing!
PurpWippleM3@reddit
Because it *is* a crisis. No one should upset the carefully balanced queuing equilibrium we have spent centuries developing.
Caris999@reddit
It’s just plain rude and bad manners. There’s nothing else to be said.
No-Economics-8198@reddit
It's an absolute liberty
SebastianHaff17@reddit
Because we're not savages.
MaverickScotsman@reddit
Because the majority of us have no time for cunts who think they are better than everyone else and that the rules dont apply to them. Apart from politics apparently, when a toff with a posh accent could easily convince the English electorate to burn their own houses to the ground.
cheese-is-great-food@reddit
‘Coz it’s rude innit
(but yeah that is basically why)
Mcby@reddit
And also it makes the wait longer for everyone else behind them. Sometimes politeness is just social convention, this is a direct inconvenience.
zombiejojo@reddit
Change your mind about what? The fact that we react like this? It's a fact, no minds need changing! 🤷♂️
Ruby-Shark@reddit
I too tut and mutter when people are invited to the Hague.
qualityvote2@reddit
Hello u/adgegand! Welcome to r/AskABrit!
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