Queuing

BBC Learning 1 EnglishLondon LifeQueuingCallum: Hello, I'm Callum Robertson and this is LondonLife. Today's programme is abouta very British habit, or something that we always think isvery British. And that is the topic of queuing. Waiting ina line to pay for something, to go somewhere or to dosomething.
　　The topic came to mind while I was waiting in a queue inthe supermarket to buy my lunch. It was a very long queuethat went all the way along one aisle 2 and round the back ofthe shop. I wouldn't normally 3 wait in such a long queue butI know at this particular supermarket at this particulartime of day they have a lot of staff at the check-outs andthe queue moves very quickly.
　　While I was waiting I thought how calm, patient and politethe people in the queue were and that is something that isoften experienced 4 in Britain and not always in otherplaces. I remember once in a country that I won't name, Iwas at an airport waiting to check in. I arrived early andthere was a short queue waiting for the check-in to open. Iwas the second or third person in the queue and gradually aline of passengers arrived behind me. I was glad I hadarrived early as the queue then was very long. However, assoon as the check-in opened there was a mad rush and allthe people who had been behind me, pushed forward, allwanting to check-in at the same time. I ended up more orless at the back of the queue.
　　The British are traditionally much better organised when itcomes to queuing although a recent survey has revealed 5 thatour attitudes to queuing are changingand particularly in London we are getting less patient.
　　Greg Twitcher is Vice 6 President of Visa UK who commissioneda survey to look into our attitudes to queuing. Whatreasons does he give for our changing attitiudes?
　　Greg TwitcherWell I think it's probably down to the fact that oureveryday lives have changed and I think what it is is thatour lives are so busy and there are so many more optionsavailable to us now we just think, well why in the is dayand age should I queueCallum: Greg thinks that our attitudes are changing becauseour lives are changing. We are much busier in our lives nowand we have more options to get the things we want. He usesthe expression 'in this day and age', 'in this day andage'. 'Why in this day and age should I queue?' Thisexpression means in this modern world with all itstechnology.
　　Listen again to Greg. He also goes on to mention what someof the other options are what things were like a few yearsago.
　　Greg TwitcherWell I think it's probably down to the fact that oureveryday lives have changed and I think what it is is thatour lives are so busy and there are so many more optionsavailable to us now we just think, well why in this day andage should I queue when I can go on the internet, I can goto 24 hour convenience stores and I am a little bit oldenough to remember the fact when shops were closed on aThursday afternoon and not open on a Sunday, so we have somany more choices now and we just say look I'm not going toput up with this and a lot of people are just walking outof shops.
　　Callum: These days we have access to internet shopping andthere are a lot of 24 hour convenience stores. In the pastmany shops closed for one afternoon a week and most onSundays. There were fewer convenience stores and nointernet so if you wanted something and the shop was verybusy, you just had to wait. But that has changed now. Manypeople will walk out of shops if they see a long queue.
　　Let's now hear from some Londoners and find out what theythink about queuing, are they patient in queues?
　　VOICESI get sick of it but I'm quite patient, but only ifeverybody else is patient, if people start pushing in frontor trying to get to the front of the queue then that makesme lose my patience.
　　I've never abandoned a queue. I always stick around andwait. I tend to get really impatient 7 and I will just leaveitI try to be patient but generally find myself gettingirritable the longer I have to stand aroundI think it depends what time of the day it is. It it'searly in the morning or if it's lunch time and I'm in themiddle of work I wish the queue would be shorter, butotherwise I'm usually quite patient.
　　Callum: Well there does seem to be a mostly patientattitude to queuing though it can depend on the time ofday, how busy we are and what the other people in the queueare doing. Listen again.
　　VOICESI get sick of it but I'm quite patient, but only ifeverybody else is patient, if people start pushing in frontor trying to get to the front of the queue then that makesme lose my patience.
　　I've never abandoned a queue. I always stick around andwait. I tend to get really impatient and I will just leaveitI try to be patient but generally find myself gettingirritable the longer I have to stand aroundI think it depends what time of the day it is. It it'searly in the morning or if it's lunch time and I'm in themiddle of work I wish the queue would be shorter, butotherwise I'm usually quite patient.
　　Callum: So, how patient are you at queuing? How long wouldyou be prepared to wait in a queue? Well if you do have toqueue up, I hope you have an mp3 player so you can listento this programme to help pass the time.
　　That's all from this edition of London life.