Cutting in line

Cutting in line, also known as line/queue jumping, butting, budging, skipping, ditching, breaking, or pushing in (UK) is the act of entering a line or queue at any position other than the end.

Etiquette

The act of cutting is generally frowned upon by most people. However, it has developed a set of rules to allow for "fair" cutting. These include asking for "cuts" (or "cut-sies") – permission to enter ahead of the person that was asked, or "back cuts" – permission to enter behind the person who was asked.

However, since cutting in front of one person is in essence adding to the wait of every person behind them, this technique is only considered fair if each person behind the one being "cut" allows it. Rarely will such things work in a formal line (such as an amusement park). "Back cuts," similarly, are generally considered impermissible because the person allowing the cut loses nothing by having a person enter in behind them, while everyone else behind the cutter does suffer the additional wait.

In situations where it is acceptable to cut in front of someone without the permission of others in the line, a "Chinese cut" is preformed. In this situation, person A cuts person B with B's permission (but not the permission of people behind B). Then B gets out of line and cuts A. Essentially, A has back cut B. In this case, the term Chinese has the same connotation as a Chinese Fire Drill.

Reaction

A negative response from the rear of the line is expected when someone has cut in line up ahead. According to one study, a person cutting in line has a 54% chance that others in the line will object. With two people cutting in line, there is a 91.3% chance that someone will object. The proportion of people objecting from behind the cutter is 73.3%, with the person directly behind the point of intrusion objecting most frequently.

Nevertheless, there rarely is any physical retribution if social pressure fails.

Covert cutting

In lieu of following the procedure mentioned above, some will cut in line by joining up with family members or friends already standing in line. This action is usually more acceptable, but can still be considered "cutting". Many times, this action is purely out of convenience, when one member of the group "saves a place" for the other members, especially when the wait is lengthy. However, this is not always the case. It is more acceptable when the two people are simply together to conduct one transaction, however if both people plan to conduct one transaction each, it is particularly disrespectful (especially in queues with slow cycle times due to high individual transaction times).

In busy areas where time is of the essence, such as in airports, one can sometimes observe queue drift, where an impatient person treats the line as though it were a slow-moving race, using every movement of the line to cut in front of others in an effort to achieve the pole position. This is enabled by a funnel effect, where there is a large number of people trying to enter the same narrow entrance at the same time and where no formal queue is in place. This can often be seen at the bottom of ski lifts, especially where there are more entry gates (for checking lift passes) than seats on each lift. Queue drifters are usually less obvious than more overt line cutters; while they are annoying to those who notice them, they usually manage to avoid detection.

Other forms of cutting

Some consider leaving a line and returning to the same point later a form of cutting. An example might be a person waiting in line for an amusement park ride who realizes that he or she would like to leave behind an item (such as a coat or beverage) with someone else. Should the person leave the line, relieve himself of such an item, and return to his place, some might consider the act cutting (even if it were known that the person was in the line previously).

Another action typically considered "cutting" is very common in areas with formally established queueing areas (such as amusement parks): when the line area is nearly empty, some guests will still walk through the series of steel railings to proceed to the end of the line, while others will slip under or step over the railings rather than walk through the entire network. If a person is not bypassing the rails, but rather is walking through the path to the line, and another person DOES bypass them (and, in doing so, reach the line before the other), it is sometimes considered cutting even though it did not actually take place in the line itself.

Cutting is also present on roadways, especially restricted access highways, where traffic queues build up at merge locations. Drivers who bypass traffic by waiting until the last possible moment before merging are generally considered to be "cutters", and are frequent instigators of road rage. This behavior is not usually illegal in the US, unless the driver crosses a solid white line or uses dangerous merging techniques. In Germany, using the ending lane until the last moment is required by law.

Sanctioned line cutting

In some instances, cutting in line is sanctioned by the authority overseeing the queue. For example, amusement parks operators such as Six Flags have programs whereby patrons can pay for the privilege of cutting the line for an attraction by arriving at a pre-designated time. At airports, it is customary for efficiency reasons to allow pregnant women, adults accompanying small children, and the physically disabled to board an airplane first, regardless of their seat class or assignment.

International attitudes

Different nationalities view queueing and also therefore the concept of cutting in line differently. In some countries in continental Europe - Italy, for example, people are less inclined to join or form a queue. They tend to move directly to their goal without paying attention to others who are already present. In these cultures, it is perhaps also more likely that existing people will object if they feel disrespected (thereby maintaining some sense of balance). In countries where there is an instilled sense of "fair play" and more of a reserve to talking to strangers (such as the UK), often people will remain silenty frustrated at what they have witnessed.

In former Communist countries, where waiting in long queues was a near-daily occurrence for some, especially at times of rationing, the act of waiting in line and the code of conduct associated with it is much more institutionalized and regimented to this day. (See Consumer supply in the Soviet union in the 1980s) In Russia, for example, the art of queuing is finely-honed: it is acceptable for a person to leave the queue to use the bathroom (or similar brief diversion) and then return to their original place without having to ask permission. It is also common for a person to be allowed to jump to the front of the queue in special cases, like the need to purchase a ticket for an imminently departing train.

Legislature in Washington passed a bill that makes cutting in line to catch a ferry illegal. Cutters can be fined $101 and forced to return to the end of the line.

External links

• standinaqueue - For an insight into the British obsession with queues.

• Mind Your Queues! - Article on the Indian attitude towards queueing.