sandi

In America, and definitely in England, (and Britain) folks naturally queue, when there are more than two or three waiting. however, they DO not queue in France, Spain, and most parts of middle east, or Asia. Therefore, one must change the habit, to trying to press forward gently, without smothering any old ladies. What do you'all think the appropriate thing to do is. Agression is rampant in this regard many places.

Ed

When in Rome ... <BR> <BR>Experience shows you'll have to wait a long time for a bus (subway, movie ticket, etc.) if you wait until the crowd stops shoving in some locations. While it's probably best to avoid use of knees, kicks, elbows and fingernails, if the local custom is to mooooove on the bus like a herd of cows, you'll have to join the herd. <BR> <BR>twenj

kam

Even more interesting in parts of Asia.

s.fowler

The press forward gently without performing bodly harm is the bestroute. My most extreme experience had been the "mass" trying to go through immigration at the Skopje airport!

No Name

I recognize that the locals have important things to do, so I yield and let them go first, and then step forward when there's a reasonable break in the action, and then only if I'm completely sure what I want and how I might ask for it, and I have my money ready. <BR> <BR>I wish more tourists here in the States would do this for me.

elaine

I still haven't figured out the <BR>crowd/queue system in gelato places in Italy. There may be a queue at the cashier, but then at the counter, while waving one's receipt and trying to get served, all heck seems to break loose. <BR>Hints?

Capo

Elaine, we never had a problem at any gelato place in Rome. It seemed to me that the servers had a pretty good sense of who was "next in line."

xxx

Actually, Elaine, we had the same problem in Italy at gelato shops, airport stands, etc. Since I knew beforehand that Italians generally don't "queue", I basically just tried to get waited on and didn't sweat it.

nancy

To those of us, raised in a culture wherre we are taught to wait our "turn", this is a hard one to get use to. <BR>BUT, unless you want to stand around to closing time, I found that as Ed mentioned , in Italy, one must just continue to press forward, and block any attempts from those behind you to move in front. <BR>It was hard for me at first,(I was raised be ultra polite, unnaturally <BR> so when compared to anyone else I have ever met) <BR> but after a couple days, I found it quite exhilerating !!

Marlena

We noticed the herd system in Portugal too. It was really hard not to get annoyed...in New York City (where I live) you can start a war by not waiting your turn in line! <BR> <BR>Marlena

xxx

You have to get much closer to people than you are probably comfortable doing, just to carve out and preserve your little spot among those waiting to be served. Any break between you and the person in front of you invites the locals to step directly in front of you. Go toe to heel with the person in front of you and breathe down their neck. The people behind you will be doing the same to you. Don't be afraid to raise an elbow if someone tried to step in front of you. Don't even try to form a line, just step up to the counter as soon as you can or you'll be ignored by the service people and jostled by the crowd. You'll get used to it, and then you'll really appreciate the politeness of eveyone when you return home.

frank

The real fun is in tourist cities where mixtures of nationalities are queueing/pushing. <BR>Observe how angry the Northerners look & decide if you want to be like that.

Marlena

Frank, Northerners from what country? <BR>Huh?

Mónica

There is one situation where ALL Europeans queue: in public toilets. Please, respect it.

sandi

A point is, people often feel that is is allowable to be rude in situations where they don't feel any sense of connection with anyone else...the Japanese, the most polite people on earth, are often rude in large groups, on trains, in toilet queues, etc., when they travel as a mob of tourists. THis trait is probably true in any mob situation...just happens that Europe was full of Japanese tourists when I was last there. British folk, on the contrary, are taught from infancy to take their turn. The first sign I saw the first time I went to England was "Queue up!! It's the British way"..and people who travel with certain notions of manners must change them fast if they are to survive in Asia, and most of the orient, not to mention France...people at the ski resorts there, (and in Austria) ski right over your skis to get in front of you. I guess the answer is to be more agressive...too bad though..consideration for others is a pleasant trait. Seems that this trait is diminishing in the public at large, as in throwing a loaded diaper out the window, abandoning the grocery cart where you left it, dropping trash wherever you like, running red lights, cutting in on the freeway cause your time is more valuable than others. just too bad.

Tutu

Wow, people skiing over your skis to get in front of you? Hmmm... <BR>This is one of those *revealing* threads. For all the romanticizing that some people here do about certain countries, these behaviors are definitely more aggressive than what we are used to. I haven't traveled to Asia so I can't compare. I have noticed that the Japanese tourists that come to Hawaii have definitely toned down their behavior and seem more tuned in to our laid-back unrushed style, whereas twenty years ago, they would push to get ahead in line.

Beth

<BR>Trust me, China is the Worst! Can't even compare to Europe.

Janine

I've pretty much had to throw people out of my way to get off a crowded train in Tokyo.

BTilke

I hate to ski in Europe because of the incredibly aggressive behavior in lift lines. At the typical U.S. ski resort, people are models of polite behavior (at least in the lift lines, if not on the slopes) and you just don't cut in front of someone or ski right across their skis, or shove someone out of your way, unless it's accidental, and then you apologize. The exact opposite of ski lift "etiquette" in Europe. <BR>The Brussels "commune" I live in has a large Arab population and to get your residency card renewed, you have to go to the commune's city hall and stand in line to get tickets. Because my husband works full time and I don't, I'm the one who has the joy of standing in line. I can't tell you the number of Arab men who've deliberately tried to cut right in front of me because after all, I'm just a woman and how could my time be as valuable as theirs. I tell them to back off pretty sharply and have yet to allow one of them to get away with this trick. <BR>BTilke <BR>P.S. I believe the phrase used to go "The British always queue, the French never queue and the Americans don't know how to queue..." <BR>

topper

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