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It depends on my mood and the attitude of the person cutting in. I will often be perturbed, but let it go and say nothing, but if the person is obnoxious or rude I may say something.
I don't give a crap and don't say anything. Sometimes lines aren't well defined, or some people aren't prepared to be in the line, and/or aren't waiting in line, they're just waiting. It's possible that others don't read the line the same way. I can't say I have ever seen anyone barge straight into a well defined or protected line. Maybe it happens but I usually have much bigger stuff to worry about.
I usually smile sweetly and say, "Oh my goodness! I didn't realize you were in such a hurry. Let's ask the people behind me if it's okay for you to go first." (I once got a round of applause for this approach!)
LOL. That's pretty good.
Strange that there should be a thread about this; it happened to me just last evening. We were in line at an outside potluck and there were 2 lines on either side of the picnic tables.
This was at a place/event where everyone pretty much knew each other already - we were the "new" people.
Anyway, 2 old coots just decided to make a new line, right behind the guy standing in front of me.
Not only that, but then 3 or 4 more people lined up behind THEM. (hungry???)
So I just said, "Oh, GO AHEAD," smiling, speaking very loudly but not sarcastically. One of the coots then asked if I wanted to go on ahead of him.....I said no, "go ahead," but I got in place behind those 2, and didn't allow the entire "new line" to cut us off.
Then I started talking to him, etc., shooting the breeze. Old people, elderly people, I don't mind.....usually the people who do that sort of thing aren't old folks. But after I let those 2 in, I got behind them.....
This has happened to me a few times. Two stick out.
2nd was at the Post Office...I was sending my son a care package and a lady and I arrived at the door at the same time. I was in a better position to get the door so I held it open for her. She then went to the supply table, filled out a label, picked out an envelope blah blah blah. By this time I was almost to the counter with about 7 other people behind me when she comes to the front of the line. I said "excuse me?" and she replied that I let her in so therefor she was ahead of me in line. I explained to her that once she got out of line, she forfieted her place. She huffed but headed to the back of the line. The people behind me were not as polite as I was.
Another was an elderly woman that just shuffled up to the cashier without seeing the line at the "wait here" sign. I will say the cashier told the lady where the line was. The lady looked so distressed and embarassed that I told her to go right ahead. Luckily the people behind me didn't mind either.
I usually smile sweetly and say, "Oh my goodness! I didn't realize you were in such a hurry. Let's ask the people behind me if it's okay for you to go first." (I once got a round of applause for this approach!)
If someone gets behind me with one or two items and there's an express check-out open, I usually point it out to them. If it's a store employee, I will always let them go first because they're on their break and the clock is ticking.
Was a time I wouldn't say a word, but the older I get, the more likely I am to speak up.
It used to happen to me more when I was with my kids. My daughter would always say "why did she/he do that?" - I would say - obviously, they're in a bigger hurry than we are or something like that.
I've tried your exact words with the same result.
Usually, I can tell they are retired or have a lot of time but you never know what someone is dealing with - maybe someone sick at home.
Years ago (2001 to be exact) I was going to a mall on Black Friday. I had with me my girlfriend and her neighbor's 10 year old daughter. We were going to be meeting the rest of the girl's family in the mall. My girlfriend at the time was EXTREMELY volatile. A bomb waiting to go off. Anyway, as I crept through the lot looking for a space, I noticed one woman loading her child and purchases into her car, so I crept up, put my turn signal on, and waited. Suddenly I hear a horn blaring behind me. I look in my rearview mirror and there is this guy in an SUV behind me yelling at me. I shrugged it off. He persisted on the horn, even leaning out of his window and shouting at me. A younger man in the passenger seat was doing the same.
I'm glad you were so patient waiting for the spot. I remember one time after shopping I pushed my shopping cart loaded with groceries up to our car parked in a prime spot. With me was my wife and three very young kids. Immediately, another car - with a young driver - spotted us, came flying down the aisle and turned on his turn signals to claim the spot. So the routine went something like this:
Open the car, load the older two kids into the car. Tell them to buckle themselves in their car seat. Take the infant out of the cart and place him in his car seat. Buckle him up. Load the groceries into the car. As I am loading the groceries in, young driver gets impatient and starts honking. I look over at him and smile. Once groceries are loaded, return the shopping cart. Young driver honks even more, I smile back. Get in the car. Middle child still isn't buckled up and is having difficulty accomplishing this task. I get out of the car, open her door and assist her. Horn blaring.
I get into the car and say to my wife, "Guess he's never had kids."
I'm glad you were so patient waiting for the spot. I remember one time after shopping I pushed my shopping cart loaded with groceries up to our car parked in a prime spot. With me was my wife and three very young kids. Immediately, another car - with a young driver - spotted us, came flying down the aisle and turned on his turn signals to claim the spot. So the routine went something like this:
Open the car, load the older two kids into the car. Tell them to buckle themselves in their car seat. Take the infant out of the cart and place him in his car seat. Buckle him up. Load the groceries into the car. As I am loading the groceries in, young driver gets impatient and starts honking. I look over at him and smile. Once groceries are loaded, return the shopping cart. Young driver honks even more, I smile back. Get in the car. Middle child still isn't buckled up and is having difficulty accomplishing this task. I get out of the car, open her door and assist her. Horn blaring.
I get into the car and say to my wife, "Guess he's never had kids."
I was with you until that last line. Yes, because having procreated is obviously necessary to be courteous That explains the ill behaved family at a concerts in the parks series who let their kids blare their cell phone music DURING the concert and nearly knocked down an elderly couple on the way out I once had to endure at a concert. And all of the parent road rage drivers who make me avoid being on the road at 3pm on a school day when I have off from work.
Btw, childfree here, I've let people with cranky kids go ahead of me on grocery lines, given up my seat on public transit to pregnant ladies, parents with small children, elderly people and people with disabilities. I've helped parents with strollers up and down subway stairs, held doors open for them. I'm really sick of SOME parents trying to say those of us who haven't had kids behave a certain way just because we don't have kids.
Last edited by exscapegoat; 10-14-2012 at 07:06 PM..
If someone cuts in front of me, I am going to take it as being disrespectful, and causing problems for me. I am going to speak up.
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I do the same, exact thing!! It usually works...
That explains the ill behaved family at a concerts in the parks series who let their kids blare their cell phone music DURING the concert and nearly knocked down an elderly couple on the way out I once had to endure at a concert. And all of the parent road rage drivers who make me avoid being on the road at 3pm on a school day when I have off from work. 
