Queuing culture

After waiting for a long time to pay for the medical examination, a young man suddenly appeared in front of me, holding a piece of paper to the glass window. I patted his shoulder and said: If you are an old person, a child, or a disabled person, I will let you go. But you are a young man, strong and healthy, go down and line up! The young man seemed to be stubborn and wanted to resist, but before my resolute attitude and the crowd behind him, he had to turn back and line up.

The culture of queuing has not yet formed in many people. In public places, you can see jostling and pushing. Train stations and bus stations are places where chaos is easily seen: from queuing to buy tickets, to parking in the lot, passengers getting on and off, and when the bus leaves the station, picking up passengers along the way...

The same goes for buses, and so do the buses. At every bus stop, when the bus stops, both people getting on and getting off jostle each other. Even though there is a rule that people get on at the front door and get off at the back door, many people still get on wherever they want, leading to collisions and congestion.

Even on the plane, when the plane has not yet stopped, many people have unfastened their seat belts and are looking for their luggage. Normally, if they just go in order near the exit door, there would be no chaos, but many people carry their bulky luggage and push their way to the front, not only not faster but also causing congestion and discomfort for the passengers in front.

Waiting, even just a few seconds, is probably too long for many people. For example, the red light is still on for 3 seconds, many people have already accelerated and rushed out. Or like in the elevator, people inside have not yet exited but people outside have rushed in, causing very unpleasant collisions. It seems that rushing and jostling have become a habit of many people. Strangely, they are willing to wait for hours to buy their favorite food and drinks, but they do not care about waiting a few seconds to ensure their safety and that of others.

That’s just everyday life, but when there is an event, the level is much… more intense. We have witnessed the scene of jostling and pushing to get branded goods during the discount event. Or parents waiting in line, jostling and pushing, pushing and pushing, breaking down the school gate to get a place for their children….

The above mentioned cases are all about a lack of awareness of law enforcement. Poor awareness of law enforcement in public places is not only offensive but can also have serious consequences.

We must not forget the stampede in a neighborhood in South Korea last October that killed more than 150 people. Or the incident in Indonesia where fans invaded the stadium, causing chaos that killed more than 120 people.

On the other hand, we have just witnessed a miraculous escape thanks to the discipline of the community. Due to a technical problem, two planes in Japan collided on the runway. The plane carrying 379 passengers caught fire. What is special is that in the emergency situation, there was absolutely no chaos. All passengers calmly followed the evacuation instructions of the crew.

About ten minutes after the passengers had escaped, the plane exploded. Those who narrowly escaped death said on television that it was the professionalism of the crew that saved them. Authorities said it was the strict adherence to emergency rescue procedures that saved the passengers. Perhaps both. If the crew had not been professional and the passengers had not followed procedures, such a miraculous escape would not have happened.

Awareness of law compliance not only reflects the behavioral culture of individuals and communities but sometimes also saves our lives.

Xuan Hoa

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