It's no secret that in Britain we like queuing, politely standing in line waiting for our turn to do whatever.
It's the adult, mature thing to do. It's fair and it limits the possibilities for conflict over perceived injustices. Anyone pushing in are roundly dealt with by tutting and displeased looks from the queue. Your peers have spoken, get in line. That is how it seems it has always been...at least until recently!
This morning on my commute to work the tram approached my stop, one of the busier stops on the tram system.
Trams are narrow so the walkway typically only has width for one person to stand in the aisle, it forces you to queue...which is good.
As I waited for the tram to arrive at my stop I realised there was a woman trying to squeeze herself down the queue between the people and the chairs and wall. She was trying to work her way to the front of a queue that was in a tight space with no room to maneuver. It was obvious that we were all trying to get off as these queues with everyone facing the door only form on the tram when people are getting off, it wasn't a flashmob art exhibition. I couldn't help wondering what she thought she was doing. Did she think they were going to run out of outside before she reached the door and she'd be forced to live on the tram? Why did she think her need to get off was more important than everyone else's?
I chose not to move and politely apologise like most of the people in the queue (apologising for being in the way of someone pushing in? We are a weird bunch in this country). She had to wait beside me in an uncomfortably small gap facing the side of the queue like a naughty child who'd been sent to the corner of the class...because that's how I roll with rude people.
After we were off the tram (there was plenty of outside left for everyone thankfully) I watched her nonchalantly stroll off.
Gone was all her urgency, there was no imminent appointment she was rushing to, no sign of a sudden case of diarrhea to explain her actions. She was just one of life's natural arseholes. People who have a burning need to put themselves first no matter if it's in any way necessary or not.
That would have been the end of things and you wouldn't be reading this post if the next event hadn't happened.
Within literally five minutes of getting off the tram I was in a bakery buying my breakfast (because I was so late waking up I'm lucky to be wearing clothes) when another woman had a similar flash of inspiration. The queue was a shorter one this time, but still apparently four people in a line is too much to ask of some.
A young woman who was fifth in the queue was suddenly stood next to me. Then with a couple of pigeon steps she was in front of me in what she must have thought was a second parallel queue that only contained her...and so obviously she was first in that one.
She knew what she was doing or she would have just boldly walked up to the counter and tried to pay. No, she crept in little steps when she thought no-one was looking, inching her way to the front. Again "Indignant man" (a lesser known superhero who wears skin under his clothes rather than Lycra) saved the day by cutting her queue off at the pass. Suddenly she was fifth in the queue again and noticeably miffed. Why was she annoyed? Well because she deserved special treatment of course, she was <insert what ever delusion was fueling this woman's actions here> don't you know?
This set me thinking. I recounted as many instances as I could of this sort of activity from recent memory. It then occurred to me that it was becoming a common experience. I could remember a number of times when people in shops, pubs, public transport, and so on, had just decided that queuing was for other people. It may not sound like much but it's indicative of a change in attitude. As far as I can see people are more commonly putting themselves first, even when it's not important to do so (there are other signs of this but today I'm talking queuing). If you were in a burning building it wouldn't be very noble to put yourself first but I'd understand it, self preservation and all that. But getting off first so you can quickly get on with strolling slowly down the street? Needing your sandwich about 45 seconds earlier than you were going to get it?
And this change must be endemic as there was far less dirty looks and tutting than I would have expected too. It's like the other people in the queue were begrudgingly giving these two permission to continue, even apologising for not letting them push in faster.
When it comes to shops I find the staff often rescue the situation by choosing to serve the people they knew were next, but not always, and far more rarely in pubs. What happened Britain? When and why did we decide to drop the manners?
I'm going to look into this growing selfishness and, who knows, you may even see more about it here.
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