Standing in line
In Dear Abby today (The Island Packet, June 14, 2016) a woman said she was standing in line waiting for a store to open for a big sale. A friend joined her and she asked if it was OK for the friend to join her in the line ahead of others behind her. Abby suggested asking permission, and quoted Emily Post to the effect that courteous people do not jump lines.
I had a similar experience several years ago. I was in the line to enter the Anne Frank house in Amsterdam with a few people ahead of me and a longer line behind me. A bus drove up and a Dutch guide got out with many Japanese tourists. They came directly to the line, and without as much as a by-your-leave, started to jump in ahead of me. I said, “Wait a minute. What are you doing?”
The guide explained they always did this for people on the tour bus. My reaction was: ‘Not today. These people’s (referring to the Japanese tourists) ancestors were part of the original problem. Get thee behind me.”
Several people behind me in the line stood firm and then someone let them jump the line.
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