Queue in public places
I wanted to teach my daughter, who is 4 years old, how important it is to follow the Queue in public places. I wanted to drop the baggage in Lulu hypermarket (Gharaffa) and thought this is the perfect time. I asked my daughter to stand behind the last person and follow the Queue.
Poor girl has to stand there for 10 minutes because people will just ignore the Queue and go around her. All sorts of nationalities were doing it (Indians, Nepalese, Arabs, Philippine and Westerners). Finally I went on guard the Queue and directed people to stand behind the girl. Some complied and most of them ignored.
My girl came out totally confused and it was so sad. She was not convinced that it is a good idea to stand on Queue.
Now please don’t start bashing on any particular race or nationalities. All were doing it and no excuse at all for that.
Here you are in a very good position to teach your child what NOT to do.
I doubt if there are laws about queuing in any country - but in mine, if you cut the line, be prepared to be smacked (at the very least, if you're local or not).
Here, people "give way", I refuse to, my time is valuable to me - if you ask, usually I'll let you go if it's one or two items and I have a trolley load. If you don't I have no qualms about sending you to the back of the line. Call the cops, see if I care.
s_isale: NO
Education is just the beginning. At the end, it boils down to enforcing those laws being put on paper.
Mike, at the end of the day it boils down to what we teach our kids.
smoke care to explain about queues in different countries that you know of??
Next time teach her the difference between Qatar Queues and Normal Queues.
s_isale, still that does not change the environment here, does it?
Arien, you seem to imply that its a problem here only. Back in your own home country things seem to be all hunky dory then eh?
How old is your daughter? Its possible people thought the child was with someone in the queue and thus ignored her position.
You could teach her queue etiquette in an airport check-in counter or at the immigration the next time you fly out.
I sympathize...people here are much too impatient.
The people on the till have a lot more to lose (their job) than I do. I welcome the chance to discuss the issue with any Qatari official (or other GCC national authority). However, being a fat, middleaged white person has something to do with my perspective.
I'm pretty gutless when it comes to telling such people off. i do however think that the people on the till should do more.
You also have to teach your child to stick up for herself. I've had any number of people (of various nationalities, much like your child) try to go ahead of me because they have one item, their nationality, etc. I always politely point out that the end of the queue is behind xxx - move.
Never had a problem, even with national ladies. But I am polite. Occasionally someone will say "I only have 1 item" to which I respond, "I've been waiting 20minutes, you can wait too."
try to swim along the stream. Otherwise smart asses make you fool. On roads.. roundabouts.. signals...even buffet dinner....
Here you can teach her how to jump a queue not to respect it :) , sad but true
Not the best country in which to teach someone to queue. But I do sympathize with your frustration.
It is really frustrating to see that a simple rule couldn't respect and follow by some and even intelected person.
Indigo res, here may not be the best place to teach your child.
It is a hard lesson to teach, especially in an environment where most people feels silly for doing it, and only "smart-asses" could survive.
Same thing happens while driving and inside all public offices... nothing to do there. My country is exactly the same and I always taught my daughter that I want her to make a difference and that she could always be proud of doing the right thing, regardless of what other's would think.
funny