Why don't some Europeans know how to queue?
 

What's the deal with standing in line these days? I saw it in Russia as well, but mostly western Europe. I'm sure there must be some sort of sociological reason why some Europeans don't like waiting their turn, but I've yet to figure it out. A couple years ago my wife and I were standing in line at an Italy rail station, waiting to talk to a customer service rep. The line stretched out the door of the office, and we had been waiting for over 45 minutes for our turn to talk to the only person running the office. Just as we were 3 people from the desk, this woman comes up and sort of casually takes place in line in front of us. My wife says, "Excuse me, there's a line, people have been waiting." The woman says, in an Italian accent, "This is Italy, we do things differently here than you do." My wife, who's not usually one for confrontation says, "You're being a rude b...., why don't you wait like everyone else!" The woman rolls her eyes, and walks to the back of the line. The British woman behind us says, "Thank you for saying something." It was absolutely hilarious looking back, but it still makes me wonder why some people think they're more important than others.

Maybe she was a first class flyer.

I assume that's tongue-in-cheek? We were first class travelers as well.

There are countries where forming an orderly queue is the norm. There are countries where people never queue. There are countries where people queue for some things but not for others (Here in the UK people queue at bus stops. In the rest of Europe people think that the idea of queuing at bus stops is quite hilarious).

If others are queuing then jumping the queue is rude. But those who live in "queuing societies" shouldn't try to enforce their queuing habits onto those who live in "non-queuing societies" (or vice versa).

Russia and Italy - not the biggest sample of Europe. You'll find that northern and western European countries are a bit better about this (i.e. Scandinavia, the British Isles, BeNeLux and the German-speaking countries).

In Italy it's always been a free-for-all.

See this link: http://www.infonegocio.com/xeron/bruno/italy.html (better with sound, if possible)

:p

Oh and BTW, any queue-jumping you see in Europe is trivial compared to what you get in Asia. In China it's a zoo in any situation where queueing would be helpful.

Well, perhaps I should have been more precise in what I was describing. I'm talking specifically about queue "jumping." It's something I've seen mainly in Europe, mostly France, but obviously in Italy as well. I didn't see any instances of it in Britain, however.

That's absolutely hilarious. The no-smoking section, airplane landing, and traffic parking really hit home. It's funny, I never saw any queuing "issues" in Italy except that one time in the train station.

So it would be best not to draw conclusions about Italians or Europeans in general from just one experience. There are @$$holes no matter where you go - I'm sorry that you happened to meet some during your trip.

I had a run-in with a French tourist and her husband a few years ago at Universal Studios. She decided to berate me in French and called me a baby because I pointed out there was a line.

I think Germany's got the right idea with those signs they post indicating space between a person transacting business and the rest of the line (saw it in train stations).

In October, my friend and I went to Paris for four days. One of the days we went to Disneyland Paris. It was veyr cold and we had been waiting in line for about 40 minutes. The lady behind us kept creeping up alongside us, trying to get in front of us. Well she had finally succeeded when we were about three people away from the front. I was pissed watching her try and jump the line so I tapped her on the shoulder and "reminded" her that we were in front of her. She quickly stepped behind us and the British couple in front of us said "Good Show!"

Italians are not the most diciplined people.... I would not say that it is the same in other Western European countries. At least I have never experienced this in the Europeans countries that I have visited. The most interesting was a trip to York (UK) and see single line Q of about 20 people at a bus stop along the sidewalk.... I should have taken a picture of that.... I guess some people have more culture and etique than others...

I tend to find lots of queue jumping in Singapore at the Gate's Security Check this being elderly Chinese travellers most likely not used to the idea of having to queue, they don't even have the decency to walk through the metal detector in a one by one basis. But getting back on track with this topic, There are people in any nationality that do not have the manners or know-how when it comes to queuing and whilst at times i can live with the fact that some people are rude at other times i don't hesitate to point their rudeness out.

Don't even have to go that far. You can see that many people or more lining up for a bus on Madison Ave in Manhattan any day of the week.

Folks in the UK are "Queue Conditioned"!
 

No matter what the queue is for if there is a queue anywhere and anytime for anything they'll just go join at the end ;)

Q: What is this queue for?
A: I don't know but I'll find out when I get to the front!

I agree with the OP. Italy is one of the worst European countries for queueing.