A friend of mine has recently been traveling along the British coast. She and a friend were entering a crowded pay parking lot and were about to turn into a space when a woman stepped up and blocked their path, claiming the space as her own. That she was on foot and there was a long line of cars waiting to park didn’t matter. She refused to budge despite honking horns and angry comments.
Needless to say, my friend was outraged by the woman’s behavior and complete disregard for the protocols of a line. The woman turned out to be French, and my friend’s British travel buddy commented that, while the Brits consider “the queue” to be a formal, orderly process, apparently French people have a bad reputation for cutting ahead. Who knew?
This is a great example of the importance of returning to civility. We are taught in kindergarten about lining up and waiting your turn—there’s no excuse for grown people to cut or charge ahead of people who have been patiently waiting for a longer period of time. I find it hard to bite my tongue when I see someone cutting ahead, even if I’m not the next to be served. But oftentimes I’ve noticed that if you point out that it was someone else’s turn, the “cutter” will get angry, even though they are in the wrong.
So let’s all take a moment to grow up and practice a little etiquette. Be patient. Wait your turn. Be observant so that you don’t accidentally cut in front of someone. And if someone busts you for cutting, apologize and step aside—there’s no need to be nasty. Also, stop feeling so entitled. Your baby may be crying, you may be pressed for time, or perhaps you just feel like you only need a quick transaction and you shouldn’t have to wait. Suck it up and wait your turn!