If there’s one thing the British are famous for it’s our ability to politely queue for anything. If it were possible for corpses to form an orderly line you’d be able to take great photos outside of our funeral parlors.
This might give you an idea why queuing in China isn't popular, there are simply so many people that you feel that the only way to ever get anything done is to shove them out of the way. Nonetheless it irks me, I'm too British for pushing over old ladies.
In China there’s no such thing as queuing, it’s a concept that just hasn’t caught on. In Arabia I learned the subtle art of queue jumping from the Arabs, and the apologetic face of “sorry I didn’t know” that allows you to get away with anything up to murder, but that’s wasted here too.
The Chinese solution is to pretend that you are the only person in the room, and that you are the most important person in the world. You angle your elbows out, and simply shove anyone in the way aside.
I’ve seen a young guy drag an elderly couple (both of whom were using walking aids) to the ground, in order to jostle for a better position at the security scanners on the subway. His mistake, as I promptly grabbed him, gave him a loud and noisy bollocking (causing him to lose face) and then dragged him to the back of the throng.
I’d paid my bill in Starbucks one day, to suddenly find the fist of a Chinese man under my nose clutching his money. I’m not sure what he was expecting given that I was clearly waiting for my change, but what he got was grabbed by the arm and flung out of the door. He then came back looking very contrite and mumbling “di bu qi” (sorry in Chinese) at me.
As you can see even when forced to queue (this picture is outside a transport hub at Chinese New Year) the concept of giving people enough space is an alien one.
I also watched a very large German guy lose it in a bank one day after he’d waited patiently for an hour to get to the teller window when a tiny Chinese chap darted in front of him. He walked up, picked the guy by his hair, and then carried him to the end of the line. In this case it wasn’t worth it, as he then spent twenty minutes explaining to jittery armed security why he’d done it in broken Mandarin.
There’s no malice in this failure to queue it’s just how it is, and the only way to cope is to learn to do it yourself or accept it whilst rolling your eyes and tutting. In my case that depends on how hung-over I am on the day.
Shards of China 
This is a great post. Every westerner (esp british) seem to have this experience in china. Facsinating!
What is even harder is adapting back to the british queuing system when you return 🙂
Nice post 🙂
Hey Todd, thanks for commenting I agree it’s frustrating as anything isn’t it?
When in Rome do as the Romans do. I don’t particularly like the way they make lines here but I’ve learned how to adapt. It goes against my “liberal Western sensibilities” but I’m become the queue master here.
Most of the time – I just hide behind my wife and let her do the ninja stuff. 🙂
Really interesting blog, I’m fascinated by the differences between what’s the norm here in the west and the norm in the far east.
Hi thanks for dropping by, hopefully I’ll be covering a few more of the differences between the two as the weeks go by. 🙂
I’ve experienced this here in Shanghai too, maybe this city is a little more Western so it’s not as bad, but I’ve had a few Chinese people apologize to me and give me room, but I’m also a big American.. 😉
Hi, thanks for posting! I’m a big British guy too but it doesn’t stop even the tiniest of Chinese people trying to shove me out of the way if they think they might be able to get away with it…
I really feel for this article! Ever since I’ve started living in London (three years now) I’ve learnt to appreciate the sense of personal space everyone allows you, so you very seldom get jostled (except on the tube at peak hours).
In China though they always seem to want to push forward even when there’s no need to! (I’m Asian so they probably think I am local and don’t mind but) I’ve taken to always standing sideways with a foot behind so the guy behind doesn’t encroach!
Spot on with this write-up, I truly believe that this web site needs a great deal more attention.
I’ll probably be returning to read more, thanks for the advice!
What’s with all the violent reactions? If some cultural norm in another country goes against your expectations, it’s your job to adapt. I’d grant an exception for knocking over old folks, but there was no excuse to lash out in the Starbucks and subway incidents.
Good for you. I disagree. What I found in China was simple – if you don’t help individuals learn – they never will. A cultural norm which is simply abusive by any standard is one that needs challenging not sucking up.
I absolutely agree. I learned about Chinese queuing in a museum in Shanghai, when a grandmotherly looking woman stationed herself in front of me and, each time a stall would open, would snatch someone (I presume family members?) out of the line behind me, and thrust them into a stall in front of me. After this happened twice, I was ready. I bellowed “NO” and almost trampled her as I charged for the stall, causing her to grumble in protest. Rudeness at that level (and the fact that it necessarily reduces you to the same level of rudeness) is not a cultural convention worthy of respect.
Reblogged this on ramblingbog.
Thank you. 🙂
How long would I have to wait on line to deface a 3500 year old artifact of Egypt?
Being the child of Chinese immigrants to the United States i can’t stress this enough to my friends thinking about visiting China. It’s not that they don’t understand the concept of a line(queuing) because they do. Whatever urge to que up and wait your turn is easily overridden by some innate desire to “game the system.” Because for some reason or another it gives them an overwhelming sense of self satisfaction and smugness.
The worst of it is with tourists from the mainland. Last time i went to visit a museum with my mother i had a flood of 5’5(1.6 meters) 130 lb (9.3 stone) Chinese tourists trying to push past my mother and I as they blatantly ignored the “please keep your voices down.” and “no flash photography.” signs. Having the luxury of being bi-lingual I was able to eavesdrop on the tour guide, “If they hassle you just pretend you don’t speak any English.”
I wont lie, i was a bit embarrassed to be Chinese that day and ended up standing on my mother’s right side so every time they tried to push i pushed them back and gave them the meanest scowl i could muster. I may not be large by western standards but being 5’11 (1.8 meters) and a gym rat i weigh 185 lbs (13.2 stone) but it was more than sufficient to provide an anchor for the two of us to peruse the museum at our leisure.
While in Istanbul, on a family vacation, my family and I were waiting in “line” (queue) to get through a gate to a Mosque. It was more of a bunch of single ‘lines’ funneling through the narrow gate. A new group of tourists arrived and simply went to the front and started pushing their way through.
I am a relatively calm person, with a very high tolerance for most annoyances in life. My policy being that it won’t kill me, so who really cares, being a Canadian helps this philosophy. Unfortunately being a Canadian, I am not use to prolonged exposure to high temperatures, and that day was particularly hot. Upon a second group of tourists arriving and mirroring the actions of the first group. My patience was gone.
Being 6’9″ (205cm), I don’t usually use my size to get what I want, but this instance it was my ‘go to’ move. I told my family to make a line and grab the belt of the person in front of you and to not let go. I then shouted ‘Move!’, and just like the scene with Fezzik (Princess Bride), the crowd parted, robbing me of the pleasure of bulling my way through.
It doesn’t just happen in China though. I working healthcare/research. There are many first gen Asians in my community (cultural and intellectual diversity is actually one of the reasons that we love living here). Recently I was at my child’s school for a fair. An Asian man cut in line several times dislodging the children who had been waiting very patiently and only the fact that the event was primarily attended by mothers and children, and was held in a region where we are also pathologically polite prevented a serious incident. If this had occurred in a more rural community, I am sure there would have been a fist fight. – I expect that this particular cultural norm is challenging Regardless of which side of the geographic divide you find yourself on.
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