Phew ! Trying to spell that word has sent my blood-pressure almost as high as it goes when someone blithely waltzes to the front of one where I've been waiting for ten minutes. I've just left my local Tesco where a lynch-mob had started to gather and seemed about to descend on one unfortunate queue-jumper. Considering all the trouble in the world I suppose this might seem an over-reaction to a fairly minor breach of the rules of etiquette...but it seems to happen so often these days. Personally, I don't "buy" the excuses of those who pretend innocence in the matter; "I didn't see the sign" or "I don't understand." What do they think people are doing, standing in a line behind one another ....waiting for the Conga to start !?
:lollol::lollol: You should see what its like on the Continent, especially France and Germany - no one queues! I think its a very British "pastime":hehe:
It's definately british, when we try to get the bus in Malta you have to fight to get on as everyone just runs for the door, carnage
I haven't been to France for some years now; perhaps the manners in that country have deteriorated as they undoubtedly have here recently. My last couple of trips abroad were to Vienna and Prague ( I suppose the Isles of wight and Man don't count even though we're soon meant to have identity checks to travel to them !!). Good old fashioned manners still seemed to be observed in those elegant, cultured cities I thought. I was amazed that, in Vienna, people wouldn't cross the roads when a red light was against them, even though no traffic was to be seen. I'm hoping to go to Germany later this year or early next, so perhaps I'll consider leaving my manners at the airport!
Well it's like that now where I live in London; go "Up North" and it doesn't happen so much. Please excuse an old fogey, but I remember the days when the people of this country, even the "rougher" sort, used to observe certain manners in their dealings with others.
I don't think its lack of manners in Germany (they're actually quite a polite people, contrary to British stereotyping!), more that its not something they do. If you fancy a laugh about British customs (including queuing) read George Mikes "How to be a Resident Alien". Mikes was a Hungarian refugee that came to England after the war. Some of his observations are hilarious and still valid today.
oooooh now this is something that REALLY gets on my wick too!!:lollol: in shops if someone tries to edge infront of me i will say "im not standing her for the good om health there is a queue you know" or something like that , i cant just hold my tongue!! its one of my bug bares!! but the one that even more than the above gets me is people getting on buses. now this in my experience is children and older people. :hehe: children just please them blomin selves and try and get on before you, they are swiftly told " i dont think so" as i regain my position ahead of them in the queue!! elderly people (only some of course!!) bug me as they think they have the right to get on first, im sorry but you dont!! and yes if you were behind me id more often than not allow you on first as i do actually have manners, but when they blatently walk infront of you its pure ignorance!! also the other one that REALLY REALLLLLLLYYYY annoys me , peak time, buses are full and 20 old biddies on the bus for FREE going to the post office for thier pension say, thats 20 people paying £3.40 standing!! they should not be allowed to travel for free at peak times!!! if they want to travel peak times they pay. and then its justified taking all the seats!! :lollol: ok ill stop!! :hehe::hehe:
It is funny when you go to a pub that is popular with university students. Especially at the start of term when they are all still inexperienced in the ways of the world. It is fun watching them queue up at the bar, then I just walk past them all and get served. They all look at my nastily but daren't say anything because they are too polite. I am doing them a service, they will learn that the queuing rule doesn't apply in pubs It is odd that, because in any other situation I would never even dream of queue jumping. I wonder why it is we queue for everything except our beer.
I'm with you right up to the last paragraph, being a freedom-pass holding biddy myself. Up 'til a few years ago it used to annoy me too! Now that Boris Johnson has granted freedom-pass holders in London the right to use buses and tubes 24/7 the bus-drivers have been deprived of the opportunity to refer to them as "Twirlies"...a name derived from the fact, that on attempting to board a bus before the correct time they would often enquire, pathetically, "Am I too early?"
