Proper etiquette for cutting in line

Old Jun 9, 2009, 12:32 pm
  #31  
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Originally Posted by billwest33
"V"ing etiquette also seems to apply at the gate when flying carriers that board planes in zones yet decide to let all zones board at once, despite having assigned seats, as if each individual seat will take off as soon as the passenger sits.
I find it interesting that on the carriers I think you are talking about, that there is a gyrating V of people standing at the door of the aircraft ready to disembark even before the aircraft has arrived at the gate, after landing. Sort of a closed loop of V-ing.
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Old Jun 9, 2009, 12:47 pm
  #32  
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To their credit, I've never seen a TSO complain while a pax behind me with less stuff enters the WTMD ahead of me, and indeed I've seen TSOs encourage it.

Last edited by mre5765; Jun 9, 2009 at 1:29 pm
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Old Jun 9, 2009, 12:49 pm
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I've changed my tune. Well, of course, I'm gonna cut ahead o' the line. After all, I'm special.
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Old Jun 9, 2009, 1:58 pm
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It sounds to me that what the OP is doing is not jumping an entire queue, but when they are second in the queue, moving past a slow-moving person who is first. That seems perfectly reasonable. As someone who, when traveling for business, takes a long time to prepare for x-ray (I carry a lot of electronic equipment), I normally encourage the person behind me to go first, while I set up my trays. If I am too pre-occupied to do that, I have no problem with the person behind me asking politely and going ahead. Why should the entire line behind me wait because I have to split my carry-on into 4 or 5 different trays?
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Old Jun 9, 2009, 3:11 pm
  #35  
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I've always considered that the queue ends when you get to the staging area for the belt. Once there, it's first come, first served because, if you're quicker than someone else, you are not holding them up.
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Old Jun 9, 2009, 8:55 pm
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Originally Posted by PhlyingRPh
Just wondering if anyone else has a similar approach. I'm guessing not, but we'll see
You're not just cutting in front of the person at the head of the line. You're cutting in front of everyone else who waited. Is it OK if I decide to cut in front of *you*? After all, you took a few seconds to talk to the person at the front of the line. You're holding me up so I think I'll just skip ahead while you and the first person have your nice chat.
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Old Jun 9, 2009, 9:13 pm
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Originally Posted by PhlyingRPh
I am always polite about it. I ask the person at the front of the line if it is OK with them.

And my answer will always be a polite NO!
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Old Jun 9, 2009, 10:51 pm
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Phlying, I am surprised you'd do something like this. You always seemed like a reasonable person from the other posts I read.

Several points:

1. Why would it take people in the summer longer? I'd think the winter with coats and heavier shoes that must be laced and unlaced takes longer, plus scarves and such.

2. Are you basically stepping up to the line and walk by, say 20 people, to the front of the line, then you ask if it's ok to go ahead because you only have your briefcase? Even if you are not in a hurry? I mean a hurry caused by something outside of your control. If you just arrive late at the airport because you know you will skip the line and gain time, that is even more outrageous.

If that's the case you are breaking the social contract. Seriously! That is not acceptable and very rude. There might be others who also only have a briefcase but they are waiting. It really would screw things up badly if everyone did. In some airports they have lines for experienced users and non-experienced users. That's a good system. But you can't just step in front of a general line just because you are an experienced user with little luggage.

3. I would only see two exceptions to that rule. One is that you have waited in line and it is almost your turn. But the person right ahead of you obviously takes a lot of time. You then ask him if you can step ahead. Even that would be impolite by strict standards but it wouldn't give you the ahole certificate. The other is if you are really hard pressed to board your flight when this is for a reason outside your control. In that case, it would be best to signal to one of the stand-around TSOs and tell them by showing your boarding pass that boarding has already begun and you'd like to make your flight. They will probably send you to the front of the line and even make an effort to get you through there quickly if you ask nicely.

But in general, there is not etiquette for cutting the line because cutting the line is against the etiquette.

Till
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Old Jun 9, 2009, 10:58 pm
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Originally Posted by tfar
3. I would only see two exceptions to that rule. One is that you have waited in line and it is almost your turn. But the person right ahead of you obviously takes a lot of time. You then ask him if you can step ahead. Even that would be impolite by strict standards but it wouldn't give you the ahole certificate.

But in general, there is not etiquette for cutting the line because cutting the line is against the etiquette.

Till
Jumping one person (group) in line is not impolite. I would comparing to playing through in golf.

On the other hand asking one person if you can jump ahead because they have more stuff and then asking another would be wrong.

Also, to the OP, if you wish to jump to the head of the line, you need permission from EVERY person in line or you are just being a jerk.
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Old Jun 10, 2009, 12:34 am
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Originally Posted by Trollkiller
Jumping one person (group) in line is not impolite. I would comparing to playing through in golf.
As I said "by strict standards". I wouldn't really consider it impolite either if the request were warranted and granted. The golf comparison is acceptable except that when you are playing golf you are a) doing that for leisure, b) there is an established set of strict rules that explicitly allows this, c) you are part of a group that is much more homogenous than those standing in line at the checkpoint.

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Old Jun 10, 2009, 12:53 am
  #41  
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Originally Posted by tfar
Phlying, I am surprised you'd do something like this. You always seemed like a reasonable person from the other posts I read.
LOL.


Originally Posted by tfar
1. Why would it take people in the summer longer? I'd think the winter with coats and heavier shoes that must be laced and unlaced takes longer, plus scarves and such.
Tfar, the difference is that it's once or twice a year summer travelers unfamiliar with TSA requirements, and if I may gingerly say so, checkpoint etiquette. I just flew LAX-SMF this afternoon and while waiting in line at the LAX T7 checkpoint, there were two families in front of me as I arrived at the conveyor belt. They were sorting out strollers, diaper bags, those little pink pre-K rollaboards things, camcorder, etc. I asked one of the matriarchs if she wouldn't mind me going ahead. I don't think I was out of line. My laptop bag, shoes, jacket and I only jumped past six or seven people trying to get their stuff together.

Originally Posted by tfar
2. Are you basically stepping up to the line and walk by, say 20 people, to the front of the line, then you ask if it's ok to go ahead because you only have your briefcase? Even if you are not in a hurry? I mean a hurry caused by something outside of your control. If you just arrive late at the airport because you know you will skip the line and gain time, that is even more outrageous.
I don't do what you describe above. However, when I get to the conveyor belt and people are rummaging through their stuff, I will cut in front of them. I do this even if I am early, because I don't see the point of standing around when I could just walk around a couple of people who are not quite ready / getting their stuff together. Me standing there waiting does no one any good. OTOH, in my estimated 600+ journeys this decade, I can only recall a couple of times when airline staff have escorted me to the front of a line due to lateness/flight change.

Originally Posted by tfar
If that's the case you are breaking the social contract. Seriously! That is not acceptable and very rude. There might be others who also only have a briefcase but they are waiting. It really would screw things up badly if everyone did. In some airports they have lines for experienced users and non-experienced users. That's a good system. But you can't just step in front of a general line just because you are an experienced user with little luggage.
Yes, I'd prefer it if others didn't join in.

Originally Posted by tfar
3. I would only see two exceptions to that rule. One is that you have waited in line and it is almost your turn. But the person right ahead of you obviously takes a lot of time. You then ask him if you can step ahead. Even that would be impolite by strict standards but it wouldn't give you the ahole certificate.
Yes, this is what I do.

As an aside, I am the guy that accredits the organization in charge of issuing ahole certificates.
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Old Jun 10, 2009, 1:10 am
  #42  
 
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Originally Posted by PhlyingRPh
LOL.

Tfar, the difference is that it's once or twice a year summer travelers unfamiliar with TSA requirements, and if I may gingerly say so, checkpoint etiquette. I just flew LAX-SMF this afternoon and while waiting in line at the LAX T7 checkpoint, there were two families in front of me as I arrived at the conveyor belt. They were sorting out strollers, diaper bags, those little pink pre-K rollaboards things, camcorder, etc. I asked one of the matriarchs if she wouldn't mind me going ahead. I don't think I was out of line. My laptop bag, shoes, jacket and I only jumped past six or seven people trying to get their stuff together.

I don't do what you describe above. However, when I get to the conveyor belt and people are rummaging through their stuff, I will cut in front of them. I do this even if I am early, because I don't see the point of standing around when I could just walk around a couple of people who are not quite ready / getting their stuff together. Me standing there waiting does no one any good. OTOH, in my estimated 600+ journeys this decade, I can only recall a couple of times when airline staff have escorted me to the front of a line due to lateness/flight change.

Yes, I'd prefer it if others didn't join in.

Yes, this is what I do.

As an aside, I am the guy that accredits the organization in charge of issuing ahole certificates.
I now understand your point better. Thanks. And of course, nobody should mess with the grandmaster of ahole certification!

I fly certainly much less than you do but the thing with asking a security officer for a quick pass has worked the one time I did need it. It was in Zurich, though. Perhaps the agents tick differently there. I find that security in ZRH is very efficient, speedy and polite anyway.

OTOH, if I am early I wouldn't cut the line, even if there are people ahead that take longer. While it does nobody any good if you stand there, you can see from the responses that people might or do get pissed if you skip ahead. So staying does nobody any good but it also does nobody any harm. Skipping has the potential to anger people, so I avoid that. What I said about "if everybody would do that" does apply here. It is usually an argument I hate and refute when it is applied to my own behavior but I think here it could apply very well, just because the incidents are so common and so likely.

Till
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Old Jun 10, 2009, 9:02 am
  #43  
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I've never, anywhere in the world (except in the US, and once only at CDG) experienced the need to jump the queue - the security lines at all airports I have flown through have always been extremely efficient, and have done the task assigned to them in a timely and effective manner. Again, US (and one occasion at CDG) excepted.

Maybe this tells us more about your screening processes than the TSA wants us to believe?

Dave
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Old Jun 10, 2009, 9:12 am
  #44  
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Originally Posted by PhlyingRPh
This is a better description of my approach, especially the last part.
I think it is perfectly acceptable to do this, and I do it as well. I also agree with you that summer is far worse then winter -- far more casual travelers who don't know the routine.
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Old Jun 10, 2009, 4:52 pm
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Originally Posted by PhlyingRPh
I don't do what you describe above. However, when I get to the conveyor belt and people are rummaging through their stuff, I will cut in front of them. I do this even if I am early, because I don't see the point of standing around when I could just walk around a couple of people who are not quite ready / getting their stuff together. Me standing there waiting does no one any good.
Keeping the line moving does everybody a lot of good. I must say I am quite confused as to why many posters seem to have missed that point.
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