Cutting (in line)
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Cutting in line, also known as line/queue jumping, butting, budging, ditching, or pushing in (UK) is the act of entering a line or queue at any position other than the end.
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[edit] Etiquette
The act of cutting is generally frowned upon by most people. However, it has developed a set of rules to allow for "fair" cutting. These include asking for "cuts" (or "cut-sies") – permission to enter ahead of the person that was asked, or "back cuts" – permission to enter behind the person who was asked.
However, since cutting in front of one person is in essence adding to the wait of every person behind them, this technique is only considered fair if each person behind the one being "cut" allows it. Rarely will such things work in a formal line (such as an amusement park). "Back cuts," similarly, are generally considered impermissible because the person allowing the cut loses nothing by having a person enter in behind them, while everyone else behind the cutter does suffer the additional wait.
[edit] Reaction
A negative response from the rear of the line is appropriately expected when someone has cut in line up ahead. It is usually viewed with disdain, due to the "wait your turn" aspect of a line. As waiting for a long period of time is usually unpleasant, many feel a cutter is generally being selfish and disrespectful towards those behind him or her in line. This is especially true of back cuts, as the person allowing the cut demonstrates a lack of respect for those behind him or her.
Sometimes, a recitation of the rhyming phrase: "No cuts, no butts, no coconuts!" is given,[citation needed] although this may be seen as childish. A simple "no" is also effective.
Some cutters receive retribution, ranging from being forced to the end of the line to being physically abused.[citation needed] The severity of the consequences for cutting in line generally depend on several factors, including:
- The length of the wait
- How close the cut is to the front
- The popularity of the cutter
[edit] Covert cutting
In lieu of following the procedure mentioned above, some will cut in line by joining up with family members or friends already standing in line. This action is usually more acceptable, but can still be considered "cutting". Many times, this action is purely out of convenience, when one member of the group "saves a place" for the other members, especially when the wait is lengthy. However, this is not always the case. It is more acceptable when the two people are simply together to conduct one transaction, however if both people plan to conduct one transaction each, it is particularly disrespectful (especially in queues with slow cycle times due to high individual transaction times).
In busy areas where time is of the essence, such as in airports, one can sometimes observe queue drift, where an impatient person treats the line as though it were a slow-moving race, using every movement of the line to cut in front of others in an effort to achieve the pole position. Queue drifters are usually less obvious than more overt line cutters; while they are annoying to those who notice them, they usually manage to avoid detection.
[edit] Other forms of cutting
Some consider leaving a line and returning to the same point later a form of cutting. An example might be a person waiting in line for an amusement park ride who realizes that he or she would like to leave behind an item (such as a coat or beverage) with someone else. Should the person leave the line, relieve himself of such an item, and return to his place, some might consider the act cutting (even if it was known that the person was in the line previously).
Another action typically considered "cutting" is very common in areas with formally established queueing areas (such as amusement parks): when the line area is nearly empty, some guests will still walk through the series of steel railings to proceed to the end of the line, while others will slip under or step over the railings rather than walk through the entire network. If a person is not bypassing the rails, but rather is walking through the path to the line, and another person DOES bypass them (and, in doing so, reach the line before the other), it is sometimes considered cutting even though it did not actually take place in the line itself.
[edit] International attitudes
Different nationalities view queueing and also therefore the concept of cutting in line differently. In some countries in continental Europe - Italy, for example, people are less inclined to join or form a queue. They tend to move directly to their goal without paying attention to others who are already present. In these cultures, it is perhaps also more likely that existing people will object if they feel disrespected (thereby maintaining some sense of balance). In countries where there is an instilled sense of "fair play" and more of a reserve to talking to strangers (such as the UK), many times people will remain silenty frustrated at what they have witnessed.
In former Communist countries, where waiting in long queues was a near-daily occurrence for some, especially at times of rationing, the act of waiting in line and the code of conduct associated with it is much more institutionalized and regimented to this day. (See Consumer supply in the Soviet union in the 1980s) In Russia, for example, the art of queuing is finely-honed: it is acceptable for a person to leave the queue to use the bathroom (or similar brief diversion) and then return to their original place without having to ask permission. It is also common for a person to be allowed to jump to the front of the queue in special cases, like the need to purchase a ticket for an imminently departing train.
[edit] External links
- standinaqueue - For an insight into the British obsession with queues.
- Mind Your Queues! - Interesting news article on the Indian attitude towards queueing.
