Breaking Rules
Wherever there is a queue, it is expected for people who arrive late to follow the line patiently. Cutting the line is often regarded as an act that breaks a social rule, and people who have been following the queue might take offense. I recall an instance where I had gone to a coffee shop and found quite a long line. Since I was almost running late for a meeting and the barista was a close friend, I decided to cut the line by pretending I had placed an order. The queue had like 20 people, who obviously had a busy schedule.
As I walked past everyone to the counter, all eyes gazed on me, and I could hear murmurs criticizing what I was attempting. When I took my coffee, I was confronted by one of the customers waiting in the queue. He asked, “Why are you so disrespectful? Or you think we are idle and do not have somewhere to be?” Before I could respond, the barista was bombarded with questions. The custom of respecting a queue, help maintain order and inclusivity (Stamkou, 2019). After my misconduct, some people chose to follow suit by ignoring the line, which resulted in chaos in the shop.
The people’s reaction was because they felt downgraded. Some of the customers in the coffee shop had been waiting in line for several minutes. Others were almost running late for work, but I got there later than them and was served before them. On witnessing what my deviance had caused, I returned my coffee to the counter and apologized to the customers. I felt ashamed of my deed, and cowardly walked back to the line. Acknowledging my mistake calmed down the situation and restored order in the shop.
References
Stamkou, E. (2019, October 23). Look who’s talking! Entitled individuals break the rules but also enforce them. SPSP. https://www.spsp.org/news-center/blog/stamkou-entitled-individuals-rules