Well-known for their high standards in queuing here, I have to wonder if this came about from hundreds of years of banks and post offices only having two tellers open when the line is seemingly going from Clapham to Camden and back.
I have to say that I am rather a patient queuer. This did not get me anywhere in India where queues are completely non-existent and instead are a screaming, heaving mass of arms and legs gathered around one window. Eventually I learnt not to stand back - 'No, I insist - you go first. All 345 of you. I'll just wait here for you guys to finish up.' And rather to get in there like a fifty year old woman with razor blade elbows on Kirks' sale day.
But it is with relief that I am now in a country that tends towards standing one behind the other. This usually works except when you are in the Clapham Post Office, as I was the other day, and there are about 25 people queuing with only two tellers open. The queue had about a 50/50 sane/insane split. I wont go into details but I will say that is the closest I have come to a queue riot since I got here.
The previous day I had been to the bank to pick up my new credit card, only to find the door wouldn't open because the queue was pushed up against it. Thinking I was very smart, I decided to come back the following morning, right on opening time. I did just that only to find the queue was this time situated outside the still-closed doors, and making its way across the street.
I do think maybe the people behind the glass windows have been abused just one too many times so are now seeking some sort of slow excruciating revenge on the general populous.
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