Queue Culture

Bus Queues
Originally uploaded by Mazzy.

One of the biggest things that I have noticed being in Canada is the polite queue culture.

In Australia, and in Denmark when waiting at bus stops etc it is random style. You locate the bus stop and then you can stand anywhere, it does not really matter because when the bus arrives it is every person for themselves.

I remember when I was at school and the bus would arrive it was a mob mentality... people would literally all bunch around the door and it was anyones guess as to who would enter the bus when and in what order. Usually the more aggressive and assertive people pushed their way to the front. In peak hours, it could be chaos - and definately to get the on the bus you wanted, it was a survival approach that was necessary.

In Montreal, it was and still is so strange to me, the amazing queue culture that exists. People go to the bus stop, and stand in a self made queue. If you arrive first, you are first in line. People will literally line up one by one all the way down the street, and sometimes around the corner of a street.

It is SO POLITE. SO ordered, and simply natural to everyone.

I was thinking the other day, when I go back to Oz or other countries where this does not exist, I am going to get so frustrated, and most likely find people rude.

It is going to be interesting to reintegrate to the chaos based approach :-)