Why do the British queue so much?

noneedforname 09-Apr-2010 13:21

You obviously haven't travelled into the centre of Leeds by bus and alighted at the Corn Exchange bus stops. Typically, as the door opens, a horde of marauding chavvy types off to the sprawling estate dumps of south Leeds and of all ages and both genders make a rush for the door. People trying to get off don't figure in their thoughts. Alas, this behaviour is all too common now amongst the lower end of the British social scale.

I love the look on a queue-jumper's face when someone pulls them up. Queueing is one of my pet hates, but I tolerate it. Queue-jumpers are another, but that one I do not tolerate.

We queue because it is fair and polite, queue jumping is selfish arrogant and down rigt rude !!
Simples innit?

people queue in the UK as theres usually a couple of tubby as s policemen in judge dredd body armour with nice shiny new "Electric shock Dart" Guns and fully auto anti terror MP7's bought at 6 grand a piece waiting for a half excuse to use them...dont run...stop mutafaka crack crack crack crack thud splat dribble pistola bang bang bang....dead....

Not sure if I have ever seen anyone queue to get on a tube or train in london at home time. Its pretty much a free for all. Possibly the rudest people ever.

The British queue because we have a sense of dignity and fairness and believe that the person who has waited longest for something is entitled to it first. In doing this, we expect the same respect to be given to ourselves, hence we are deeply offended when people queue jump.

I have travelled to many countries and it is true that not many others have a nation of queuers. What they do have though is a free for all bundle to get on buses and trains and to get in anywhere else. There is no regard for people's personal space or indeed safety.

What is better, the reserved, altruistic civility of the British or a bunch of snarling dogs fighting for position?

I know which one I favour....

Quote: A new problem has started in the form of self-checkouts in supermarkets. Arranged as they usually are, in groups of four looking inwards, the accepted thing is to wait just outside, and accept the first of the four to become free. Others should queue behind you.

I know - I often find that shoppers come up and stand right next to the self service till and wait until I'm finished. As if you haven't got enough to contend with - scanning the items, watching the screen, trying to remember your PIN, warding off the over-helpful assitant who keeps distracting you - without someone watching you and trying to dump their shopping down before you're finished. I told the last person to go away.

I wouldn`t mind queing so much if they weren`t slow. I always seem to get stuck behind some old lady who wants to deposit her life savings in pennies in the post office, or people in the supermarket who waste time gossiping to the cashier at the checkout.

A new problem has started in the form of self-checkouts in supermarkets. Arranged as they usually are, in groups of four looking inwards, the accepted thing is to wait just outside, and accept the first of the four to become free. Others should queue behind you. Some have adopted the thought that you are queueing for the two on the right, and they stand next to you, apparently waiting for the two on the left to become free. Wrong!

Sometimes, even when there is a visible queue, someone just appears from nowhere and takes a free machine before the queuer canget to it. Cue argument. And I have to say, the people who seem ignorant of the queuing system are pretty new to the country.

These things are going to cause a fight soon, and it may involve me.

I am a bit sick of it. I was brought up to respect the queue. You wait your turn,say please and thank you and behave nice and treat everyone in a civil manner. I have just started a new job in a Day Care Centre. They are really short staffed and at the dinner queue well, lets put it this way, at the Starving Refugee Handout we have at lunchtime, people are pushing in all the time. I dont know how to behave in that environment, so I sit down and wait to be served last. When I complained a member of staff said I should push in as well. It makes me so angry, but I am not going to start behaving like an animal. No, worse than an animal because my dog waits for his turn to be fed.

" Why do Brits queue so much?"

err... because the rest of the world doesn't???

What irritates me is queuing at concerts. We all want a good view of the band we have all paid to see but I am darn sure that I am not going to queue from 4 in the morning to get said good view. Personally I blame the venues, they should not allow queuing until around 30 minutes before a show, that way it is fair to all the concert goers and to the people just trying to get through the street who have to weave their way through the crowd to get anywhere

Brits are disgusting? Seems a bit ironic coming from someone with the name of 'the big stink'. Why is it, when anything remotely British mentioned on the internet, some one has to have a go? Cant we all just get along???? You love us really!!!

Anyway, if there were no queuing, where would we stand? What would we do? There would be mass brawls! It would be the end of civilisation as we know it!!! Queuing is just good sense.