Stay in your line

The most impressing thing to me when I first arrived in America is the way people line up for everything. They stand in a queue to buy coffee, to check out at grocery store, to check in at air-port, to buy fast food or tickets, to play a game, or even to send a letter or to use an ATM. And even the traffic also show us that, all the cars always follow the lines on the street! (there is no line for traffic in Vietnam, actually >_<)

Cars in line for drive-through fast food 

People here are so calm and know how to keep their temper in the waiting line. They never complain or yell out of the slow-moving line. I see almost of them or reading newspaper or working with their phone or doing whatever they can but still at ease and wait for the services. Really, how can they be that patient?!! Thing is so different in my city. I am not making judgement that people in my city are impolite or something, but it seems like Vietnamese don't like to wait. We are used to hustling in a crowd too much that we don't find that's unusual anymore (Who doesn't hustle will be strange!! There is a story for this habit, though, but that is not my topic at the moment).

Lines for a food store in New York

I'd been completely out of place the 1st time I wanted to pay for my coffee. There was a long line before the check-out counter but I wasn't noticed and I just went straight to the cashier to pay. That was embarrassing to hear the cashier telling me back to the end of the line and waiting there. Some people did look at me with funny eyes ( and some with stern eyes) like I was an alien or had just fell from a strange planet. But the truth in Saigon is whoever can get the attention of the clerk first will be served first, we don't have a line, we can stand wherever we want!!!

American people get the education of waiting in the line pretty soon, since they can start to recognize the priority. There is one time my Mom-in-law and my 4-year-old niece and I went to a bookstore. My little niece picked a toy, she was really excited about it, she held it tight in her hand and wanted to go to purchase by herself right away. She was so eager to pay for the toy that she stepped ahead and told to a gentleman at the end of the line in front of the counter: "Excuse me, could you let me go, please?". My Mom-in-law and I was so amazed about the way she talked so politely, but at the same time, had to hold her back and tell her that we all have to stay in the line and wait until our turn to be severed. From then on, my little niece has been getting calm and good behavior in the line everytime we queue up for anything.

So you can see, American learn to stay in the line since they are 4 year old, it's definitely not a good idea to cut in a line or just go straight to the clerk to pay (like me). You will piss people off easily because everyone know and follow the rule, so do you. Thus, find the line and stay in your line!!!