Is it a genetic malfunction? Or an allergy?
Or an inherent deficiency? Or a cultural inheritance? Or OSD? Or Indiscipline?
Or just plain stupidity? What is it that makes us not follow a queue and
compulsorily break it?
No matter where, when or what the age
group, waiting in queue seems a difficult task indeed. The few sensible ones
who do respect a queue and follow it stringently, are left looking like fools
as every other person jostles ahead or pushes his/her way in between or gives a
saccharine sweet smile along with a ridiculous ‘reason’ for the ‘need’ to go
ahead.
One would think the ‘fear of losing out on
an opportunity’ is what prompts a person to break a queue. But then how do you
explain the desperate breaking of a queue when waiting to board a flight? Is it
possible to miss a flight only because one is last in line when boarding the
aircraft? Or are they worried about having to travel standing, if they board
last?
You may be chuckling as you read this,
wondering what has caused this angst. Picture this – I’m standing in line to
enter the theatre at the Marathi Film Festival. A ‘gentleman’ excuses himself
and throws his ‘need to meet the organiser’ reason at us and gets ahead. My
face is a pretty shade of pink. Before I can admire my new skin tone in the
reflection on the window pane, I find my nose in hair drenched in pure Goan
coconut oil. Turning around I manage to get a glimpse of the ‘lady’, who’s bulldozed
through the queue like she’s making her way through a field of sugarcane. After
many such encounters, the queue finally starts moving, only to melt into a
crowd. Next thing I know, I’m crushed against the door. Fortunately, before I
can pass out, I find myself inside the theatre, aka Mumbai local train
ishtyle.
I’m thrown in by a wave of people, with not an iota of effort from my side. Drat!
I can’t admire the pink tone of my skin now. It’s changed to a flaming red.
