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How To Cut In Line and Not Get Caught

Posted by samzenpus on from the no-cuts dept.

ewenc writes "A psychology study of hundreds of people waiting for front-row access to U2 concerts points to the best ways to cut in line and not get caught. 'Super-fans' are most irked by queue-jumpers. People were equally peeved whether someone cut in front or behind, and cutters who jumped beside a friend were less likely to attract scorn."

9 of 256 comments (clear)

  1. What if a whole line tried cutting? by TomRC · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Suppose you're standing in line, and suddenly a whole line of people just slides into place right next to your line - at least as long as your line, in parallel, and apparently planning to enter into the venue in parallel.

    Do you object? Do you assume that a second line has been "officially" been opened and you just missed out?

    What if the new line of people has a lot more people than your line, and they start looking over at your line and saying "Hey - get to the back of the line! No cutting!" Does a fight break out - even if your line is obviously going to lose?

  2. Re:And the reward for most useless researcher goes by ceoyoyo · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Basic research doesn't always have immediate applications. Studying the psychology and sociology of lines is a hot topic among retailers though. How do you get people to line up like cattle and still have them feel like they're being treated reasonably well, and fairly? At least well enough that they come back. How does our society react to cheaters? The answer determines how many (and what kind) of cheaters will tend to exist. Are there differences between cultures or does our sense of fairness have some component that is innate to all humans?

  3. Learning to wait by petehead · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I was at Disneyland a couple of weeks ago and a woman was pushing through people in the Pirates line with her ~4 year old son. We let her go by because it looked like they were rejoining someone up front. Then we heard the woman say to a group in front of us, "Sorry, he doesn't know how to wait". Well, how the hell is he going to learn?

    1. Re:Learning to wait by Dutch+Gun · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Damn, that's sad. Any bets that kid is going to grow up into a real mess?

      I have my own Pirates line story, oddly enough - it was a several hour wait in the hot summer sun. I was a youngster with my family, and a young couple was slowly cutting their way past everyone in line. My dad was the only one who didn't let them pass. After a few minutes, they tried to slip past us *again*. This time, my dad verbally unloaded both barrels on them, and they backed down for good.

      I was pretty impressed with my Dad for standing up for what he thought was the right thing, and not caring if it made a bit of a scene. A few people came up to him later and thanked him (while some others shied well away from him). Honestly, I'll bet most of the people who let them slip by wished they were able to do what my dad did - many likely figured like you did that they were meeting someone.

      --
      Irony: Agile development has too much intertia to be abandoned now.
  4. Re:Just what we needed.. by elrous0 · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I once saw a guy get stabbed for cutting in line at a heavy metal concert. Headbangers don't play that "Uhm...EXCUSE me you rude person!" crap.

    --
    SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
  5. Re:And the reward for most useless researcher goes by mattack2 · · Score: 3, Interesting

    While it wasn't scientific research like this, your post reminds me of Velcro, which was invented after George de Mestral looked at burrs caught in his dog's hair.

  6. Re:And the reward for most useless researcher goes by thomasinx · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Anyone who thinks this research is about learning how to cut in line needs to read the article. This is about what kinds of line-cutting annoys other line-goers the most.

    Another way to look at this is as disturbing a stable system to learn about it. People line up in queues everywhere, and do it without even thinking. This generates several interesting questions: Why? (is it a learned action?) What causes people to dislike it when people cut?(from individual standpoints, someone cutting in line behind you doesn't affect you at all) Why do some people cut in line, and others wait in line? By watching what happens when these lines get undermined, you can learn a bit about why they're created, as well as the respective thought processes.

    The point of the research is to try to understand the whole queueing process, not to learn how to be a dick.

  7. think tactically by Fuji+Kitakyusho · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I have always found that the best way is to carry two cups of coffee, looking for someone near the front of the line who looks like they could use a cup (helps if it is cold out), offer them the second cup, strike up a brief conversation and slide through.

  8. Re:Just what we needed.. by gad_zuki! · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Maybe a little more that a tutting. My favorite queue jumping story is here:

    http://ask.metafilter.com/104881/Standing-In-Line#1516290