The other day I was reminded of something we used to be very good at when we were growing up and taught our kids as we became parents, but unfortunately, the etiquette appears to have slowly slipped into disuse.
And what was it?
Well, I think we called it “waiting your turn”. This meant that, whenever we were waiting to be looked after by a service provider, whether it was a shop assistant, the ticket seller at the movies or the receptionist at the vaccination centre, we carefully noted where we were in terms of arrival and waited patiently until it was our turn.
No queue jumping or taking no notice of other people who were there before us or just plain butting in. We knew our place and respected the place of others. Order and harmony prevailed.
But oft times now it seems that this simple courtesy is forgotten either because of youth, habit or custom. Queue jumping seems to rule as we more polite people try to abide by the old rules only to see them ignored by more impatient or impolite people.
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It happened to me the other day when I was relegated to third because two later arrivals ignored the rules and just gazumped me. Perhaps I should have made a scene but really for what purpose?
And I guess that the receptionist who had been oblivious to arrival order could have made it much easier by simply asking, “Who’s next?”
It would have made it easier for me to claim my rightful place.
Two simple words, worth remembering… who’s next?
PS As an afterthought from my Miracle Worker, Felicity: Social distancing hasn’t helped – you stand a little way back from a counter, for example, and people jump in front.
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