Why Q in Vain!

http://blogs.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/jugglebandhi/entry/queue-sera-sera

As I read the article by Jug Suraiya featured in TOI as 'Jugular Vein', I reacted with 'Why is he poaching in to my territory?'! He was writing about things which I thought was reserved for us, the just returned NRI's. I feel that deep observations on 'Indianess' is our prerogative.

He goes on to define the normal queue as a vertical queue and the one followed ('invented' he claims) by Indians as a horizontal queue. I am with him in that we Indians clearly show a lack of understanding (are not bothered) as to who is before and who came after.

People do bunch around any official, the giver, the taker and the dispenser of various things. We are not horizontal in the true sense of the word. We try to be as equidistant as the next person by leaning forward or making a semi circle. The aim is to catch the eye of the official. If he catches your eye and he decides to deal with you, your day is made! Our psyche has deep imprints from the days of shortages and rationing! We get anxious even if we have reserved seats and rush to get in and occupy them!

We feel embarrassed to be seen standing in a Q. It is something to do with our prestige (Swabhimana!). How many times do we hear people boasting 'I just walked in and got my .....(whatever)' and add with a pompous smile 'and there was a mile long Q'.

Even if we are constrained to be part of a vertical Q, we form knots of two or three. We tilt 45 deg to the person in front and the one behind you will tilt the other way, reminiscent of a DNA structure. The reason could be that we do not trust the system. We want a clear view of the counter, to able to detect any hanky-panky at the counter!

Our mind is also working over time in figuring out ways to get ahead of the Q, somehow manage to get there ahead of those waiting in front! We have no sense of guilt in trying to get ahead out of turn! Rather, there is a feeling of achievement!

I have not stood in a queue in Delhi. I suppose all the things Jug mentions happen there. I have not seen any serious galis being exchanged, neither dhaka dhaki's nor mukha mukhi's in Bengaluru. At least not yet! I do see an occasional jostling but not an aggressive one. I agree with the comment made by a mubaikar that such a phenomenon is not seen in Mumbai. ( and Pune). Others in the queue do not tolerate any one breaking the line. I remember even the officials are also conscious of the rules of a Q.

Not so in my dear Benagluru. Occasionally a known local goonda walks in and just thrusts his hand inside the counter. Very rarely do I see a protest or does the person at the counter tell such people to get into the Q . Bengalurians are generally milder in nature.

But we in Bengaluru are more subtle in the way we beat the Q. We use the side entrance if there is one. The other ploy is to 'act' as if there is no queue at all and walk to the front. This is practiced by older and fairly well dressed ones. They gaze at a distant horizon as they walk to the front. If one locates an acquaintance closer to the counter, they greet him or her as a long lost friend, linger to chat and merge into the queue. They get away with it most of the time and smile as if they have a won a lottery!

Actually at most of the places people form a Q; the bank, post office, railway bookings. It is not a vertical one, people are seated as they wait for their number, picked up as they enter, to be called. I still do see a cluster around the counter in spite of this, but people are getting used to the system. In some places they are seated and move to the next chair as it gets vacant in an orderly manner. The incidence of a horizontal Q is not evident in these places.

I see a semblance of this when people stand around a hand cart vendor or a grocery shop. I used to get annoyed with the brazen way, mostly women, would walk in and start ordering things they wanted regardless of the fact that I was already talking to the vendor. Now I have realised that there is a system here which is similar to the way the computer works when multiple windows are opened! Probably the vendors process the multiple messages better!

I have now understood that there are ways and ways to get things done, so why Q in vain. The best advice I have got is 'why do you go yourself, send some one else'!