Queue Jumping

[kunash]

You are politely queuing, waiting your turn, patiently, the person in front of you has just ben served, and you are just about to approach the till, when someone appears from nowhere, and puts their goods down on till. What do you do? Is it worth saying anything? Or do you just say, 'This is Thailand', and accept it?

Happened to me in Svensens the other day, and I said, ''Ermm'', moving forward next to her, followed by a ''Thank you'', and made sure the cashier took my money first.

What do you do? Some places/situatons it might be a bit harder to react.

[gotlost]

Nice job. Nicely done.

[apetley]

The last three times this happened went like this.

1. They pushed into the queue and plonked their stuff down so I moved it out of the way and got served.

2. They pushed into the queue and plonked their stuff down and the cashier told them that he was serving me first as I was there before them.

3. They pushed into the queue and plonked their stuff down, the cashier served them first, I told them that they had no manners, left my stuff on the counter and walked out.

[nocturn]

what ever course of action i took would depend entirely on my mood.

one thing is certain, i wouldn't come here to seek validation for my actions afterward.

[nocturn]

The last three times this happened went like this.

1. They pushed into the queue and plonked their stuff down so I moved it out of the way and got served.

2. They pushed into the queue and plonked their stuff down and the cashier told them that he was serving me first as I was there before them.

3. They pushed into the queue and plonked their stuff down, the cashier served them first, I told them that they had no manners, left my stuff on the counter and walked out.

so in the third instance you essentially bit off your nose to spite your face. well done. i will bet everyone who witnessed your little fit of pique was well impressed. i know i certainly am.

[Forethat]

The same principle appears to apply to every traffic situation in most western countries. I have come to the conclusion that people are afraid of losing their place, nothing else.

If anyone wants to jump in front of me, go ahead; I'm to old to be spending my precious time being bothered.

Relax, is my advice.

[Nawtier]

Forgive them for they know not what they do.

[Beetlejuice]

.

[cardholder]

The last three times this happened went like this.

1. They pushed into the queue and plonked their stuff down so I moved it out of the way and got served.

2. They pushed into the queue and plonked their stuff down and the cashier told them that he was serving me first as I was there before them.

3. They pushed into the queue and plonked their stuff down, the cashier served them first, I told them that they had no manners, left my stuff on the counter and walked out.

so in the third instance you essentially bit off your nose to spite your face. well done. i will bet everyone who witnessed your little fit of pique was well impressed. i know i certainly am.

Doesn't that validate the action ? :jerk:

[DP25]

Only had it happen to me once, woman went to the front of a line of maybe 10 people at Tesco and put her basket on the conveyor belt right in front of me. I was so surprised I loudly asked my friend with me <deleted> this idiot thought she was doing and started ranting in English. I guess she was embarrassed cause she took her stuff and got in line behind me, but in front of the other people waiting in line! They didn't say anything and the clerk hadn't been paying attention, she got served right after me

Have seen a few people try cutting at the local 7-11, but the staff there won't have any of it

[cardholder]

I think queueing is a Western discipline.

[GuestHouse]

I think queueing is a Western discipline.

Perhaps, but telling people to F'-Off is universally understood.

[doggie888888]

I always found a polite but firm "excuse me but I was here first" seems to work most times. Words may elevate to "where are your manners" or "join the queue like everyone else" if queue jumper is particularly persistent!

If queue jumper speaks English, the reply is always "oh sorry, I did not see you" (usually not true) or if queue jumper is not English speaker, they usually look embarrassed and move to join queue. Leads me to think perhaps every culture knows they are in the wrong whenever they jump a queue but they try anyway because they can!

[Loz]

The last three times this happened went like this.

1. They pushed into the queue and plonked their stuff down so I moved it out of the way and got served.

2. They pushed into the queue and plonked their stuff down and the cashier told them that he was serving me first as I was there before them.

3. They pushed into the queue and plonked their stuff down, the cashier served them first, I told them that they had no manners, left my stuff on the counter and walked out.

Also experienced all of the above.

Asking if they have manners is the gentle way. Ask if there parents taught them manners if you want to get a reaction! In Thai of course.

I used to accept thai manners were just different. I have since been schooled on the subject.

How about letting doors slam in the face of the person behind or coming through the other way. This still gets my goat. Its like they can't see what's wrong...

[richard_smith237]

The fundamentals of manners are the same world wide. Anyone pushing in a queue and sighting 'Culture' or the 'Thai way' is using a despicable excuse to explain their self centered actions.

If someone pushes to the front of the queue, they know exactly what they are playing at. Sometimes when the queue is not so long (at a 7-11 for example) some folk will place their items on the counter so as not to have to carry them but still intend to make payment after the others in line in front of them.

Thai's generally being non-confrontational rarely deal with this issue and to be honest in some areas of some cities of the world I would choose not to make any mention of queue jumpers...

At KL airport a few years back an Indian lady in front of me was letting her friends join her. By the time an additional 6 or 7 people were in the queue in front of me I'd had enough and asked her that if she was going to invite all of her friends into the queue the polite thing do to would be to join the back of the line.

The lady allowed me in front of her and stepped back in line behind me thinking that having softened my resolve she could continue on behind me thus delaying those who were already in the queue behind me.

I pointed out that while this was fair to me, it was hardly fair or polite to the other 3 people in the queue behind and she should join the back of the queue or send her friends to the back.

She joined the back of the queue and the Thai lady and her daughter behind me thanked me.

This Indian lady knew exactly what she was playing at and was trying it on.

The Thai lady was not going to say anything about this behavior and would've simply let it continue delaying their checkin by 20 or so mins.

Edited November 10, 2010 by richard_smith237

[JurgenG]

It depends where you are.

In a convenience store, an elbow in the ribs of the offender do the trick

you can start shouting " why do you think you're superior to everybody else ?" You point your finger to everybody in the queue and ask the offender why he thinks he is superior to them ?

Queuing up at the immigration, you call an immigration officer and say the guy needs some help because he has an emergency and need to cut the queue

At the end, it doesn't really make any difference but what's wrong with having some fun ?

[richard_smith237]

How about letting doors slam in the face of the person behind or coming through the other way. This still gets my goat. Its like they can't see what's wrong...

This also gets right up my nose but have observed its a symptom of large cities the world over. In my small town in the UK virtually everyone holds doors open for each other, there is always acknowledgment in the way of a nod or a thanks.

In London however, this strange phenomenon of showing some form of weakness and offering momentary assistance so the person behind is slightly less inconvenienced by those irritating hard things that temporarily block passageways is less existent.

I have to admit though, I'm rather amused at the efforts some folk in Thailand will go to just to slide through a door without having to lower themselves to actually having to touch the frame !

[welsh1]

The last three times this happened went like this.

1. They pushed into the queue and plonked their stuff down so I moved it out of the way and got served.

2. They pushed into the queue and plonked their stuff down and the cashier told them that he was serving me first as I was there before them.

3. They pushed into the queue and plonked their stuff down, the cashier served them first, I told them that they had no manners, left my stuff on the counter and walked out.

Also experienced all of the above.

Asking if they have manners is the gentle way. Ask if there parents taught them manners if you want to get a reaction! In Thai of course.

I used to accept thai manners were just different. I have since been schooled on the subject.

How about letting doors slam in the face of the person behind or coming through the other way. This still gets my goat. Its like they can't see what's wrong...

The same as holding a door open for some one and they dont even say thank you

But you are right blame the parents for not teaching them manners .

[cardholder]

Not wishing to be critical of Thais but, as a race, they generally seem to lack spacial awareness and awareness of what is going on around them e.g. how their actions affect others.

[richard_smith237]

Not wishing to be critical of Thais but, as a race, they generally seem to lack spacial awareness and awareness of what is going on around them e.g. how their actions affect others.

I have thought about this before and I tend to disagree. Throw the Thai word Kraeng-Jai into the mix and then Thai's know exactly how and exactly to what extent their actions will effect others (those to whom they feel kraeng-jai).

The general lack of spatial awareness and awareness of what is going on around them really is their lack of respect for anyone or anything around them that they don't have to respect.

Basically the 'Give a <deleted> factor' is either on high or low alert.

I see people behave impeccably around others they respect or those they have to respect. Those very same people I have seen behave atrociously around those they feel little respect for or do not know.

[kurnell]

The Thais that I have spoken to hate queue jumpers and would love to rant at them in public. Therefore, this encourages me to treat QJs with complete contempt, punctuating my verbal barrages with "ape", "monkey" etc

[Tonto21]

I'm English, so you know before I start I have an in-built problem with Q jumpers, can't help it! It's the same as Thais and the face saving thing. Oddly, depending on where I am in the Q will make a big difference to my reaction, the closer I get to being “next” the more volatile I can be. I tend to feed off the Q jumpers attitude. Normally equal and opposite force does the job. Q jumping to an Englishman is akin to French your mum....just not done old boy!

[Kilgore Trout]

Forgive them for they know not what they do.

I tend to believe they know exactly what they are doing

[ozsamurai]

Lining up for a Mc Ice Cream in MBK, one young guy taking ages to get his order across, another middle aged Thai guy in front of me, suddenly 3 Russian model types plunk themselves at the counter and start their order......... I politely said they were to join the line, they flicked their golden locks and just kept on with the order. Could have done the Mai Bpen Rai, but it was not their day, cashier fortunately caught up on what was going on and served everyone in the line before them, including a few that had joined after them.... so its not a Thai thing and its not a Thai service thing.

Oz

[welsh1]

Forgive them for they know not what they do.

I tend to believe they know exactly what they are doing

+1...no body can be that dull to not know what is right and what is wrong

[thaihome]

Sounds like a number of people here need to avoid China at all cost if they think this is a big problem in Thailand.

TH

[Loz]

I've heard this treatment works on those russian model types....

[Mobi]

I was in a fairly busy electricity office one morning to pay my bill.

They had one of those number machines, and everyone had to wait until their number was called and put up on the screen.

I was the only farang there and all the Thais were patiently waiting their turn.

Suddenly an unkempt, rough looking Thai came in and went straight to the cashier's desk and waved a load of bills at her, completely ignoring even the person who was at that moment was being dealt with.

I looked around to see if anyone would protest or say something, but everyone kept quiet and just stared in front of them.

Then I watched the cashier to see if she would tell him to take and number and get back in line.

Did she?

No way.

She stopped attending to the person at the counter and started to deal with the queue jumper. It took quite a while because there were a number of bills. He then pulled out a roll of notes and paid up and was gone.

My guess is that he was local Mafia, but who knows? Maybe if you act tough you get away with it.

Can you imagine that sort of thing happening in the west? there would be riots.

[h90]

I think queueing is a Western discipline.

Well, saw at panthip place queueing for taxi with a couple of young stundents who bought computer and the usual junk people who were cheating the system by taking the taxi 5 meters before.

It did not seem "normal" to the students....from what I understood from their speaking.....they were more shocked than me.

[IanForbes]

I've usually got lots of time and my reaction depends on the mood I'm in. I actually enjoy annoying obnoxious people and happily waste my own time bothering them. Of course, I also allow others go ahead of me if I've got a lot in my cart and they only have a few items.