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...where queuing is for idiots. If you want to get what you want, and get it quickly, you do not wait in line. Ever. I have to admit, I am an idiot in this regard. Having spent some time in Germany (too much, perhaps), I came to the mind-boggling discovery that it is really, really nice if the others who wait in line don't breathe down your neck, don't jump the line, don't see your credit card pin number, and don't rub their sweat against your clothes.
My fellow Romanians seem to disagree with me on that one.
I like keeping about half a meter distance between me and the person who's getting served at the counter. In Romania, that is plenty of space for at least 3 other people who have much, much, MUCH more urgent issues than mine. Always. Usually they don't even bother asking whether I am waiting in line, they just jump right in front of me as if I wasn't there. Others, the more polite ones, ask me: “excuse me, are you waiting in line?” - no, I am just standing here, blocking everybody's way, for fun.
Nowadays I tend to argue with those who jump the line. Not necessarily that I am in a hurry, but I do believe it is rude. So I say: Excuse me, do you think I'm standing here for fun? Or: Would you mind going back to where you were standing, since this is a line and I was in front of you? Or: Excuse me, but I was supposed to be first.
I don't see a reason to be rude, so I try to be polite, although it's very hard not to show just how angry I am. Well, here is the most memorable response I got:
Woman with baby: “listen you, I just came here [the empty space in front of me] to look at something, and you little brat immediately jump to conclusions! Didn't your parents ever teach you common sense?! To blame me for just trying to get informed, how rude can you be! I wasn't going to stay, you could have some patience and not jump to conclusions, you rude brat!”
Truth is, she was well grounded in the space in front of me, she made absolutely no sign of seeking information or being only in transit, and there was plenty of space to check out the information on either side of the queue. Before I spoke I checked with the others who were in the queue with me and around me, and all of them had quite a startled and annoyed look on their face when she did what she did.
There are countless other situations like this one. Today only I counted about 5 instances in which people jumped in front of me in line. In some cases I said something, in others I couldn't be bothered anymore, I was just too tired of the same old routine. In Germany, as annoying as it seemed at the time (I just had a really quick question and the line was SOOOO long!), the woman at the counter refused to serve me unless it was my turn in line. If you're Romanian, this is unbelievably rude. If you got used to the polite way, it's exactly what she's supposed to do. It's only fair.
Bur fairness has a different definition here.
Welcome to Romania.
My fellow Romanians seem to disagree with me on that one.
I like keeping about half a meter distance between me and the person who's getting served at the counter. In Romania, that is plenty of space for at least 3 other people who have much, much, MUCH more urgent issues than mine. Always. Usually they don't even bother asking whether I am waiting in line, they just jump right in front of me as if I wasn't there. Others, the more polite ones, ask me: “excuse me, are you waiting in line?” - no, I am just standing here, blocking everybody's way, for fun.
Nowadays I tend to argue with those who jump the line. Not necessarily that I am in a hurry, but I do believe it is rude. So I say: Excuse me, do you think I'm standing here for fun? Or: Would you mind going back to where you were standing, since this is a line and I was in front of you? Or: Excuse me, but I was supposed to be first.
I don't see a reason to be rude, so I try to be polite, although it's very hard not to show just how angry I am. Well, here is the most memorable response I got:
Woman with baby: “listen you, I just came here [the empty space in front of me] to look at something, and you little brat immediately jump to conclusions! Didn't your parents ever teach you common sense?! To blame me for just trying to get informed, how rude can you be! I wasn't going to stay, you could have some patience and not jump to conclusions, you rude brat!”
Truth is, she was well grounded in the space in front of me, she made absolutely no sign of seeking information or being only in transit, and there was plenty of space to check out the information on either side of the queue. Before I spoke I checked with the others who were in the queue with me and around me, and all of them had quite a startled and annoyed look on their face when she did what she did.
There are countless other situations like this one. Today only I counted about 5 instances in which people jumped in front of me in line. In some cases I said something, in others I couldn't be bothered anymore, I was just too tired of the same old routine. In Germany, as annoying as it seemed at the time (I just had a really quick question and the line was SOOOO long!), the woman at the counter refused to serve me unless it was my turn in line. If you're Romanian, this is unbelievably rude. If you got used to the polite way, it's exactly what she's supposed to do. It's only fair.
Bur fairness has a different definition here.
Welcome to Romania.
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