Queue –(n.) line ; (v.) to line up and wait your turn
Beyond the difficulty reading this British English word, Filipinos
cannot seem to understand the meaning, more so, the essence of queue. Pinoys do not know how to form a line,
at least, in their own country. On one hand, we follow every rule when outside
Filipinas or Pilipinas. (There’s a petition on changing the name of the
Philippines, by the way.)
What ‘s up with getting ahead of other people, at the
dispense of physically hurting them? Witnessing cat fights and hearing curse words
in LRT and MRT stations have been a constant scenario that foreigners find
amusing.
Hordes of passengers trying to get in and come out alive
from these trains that will take you to destinations at faster rates; men and
women elbowing one another just to get in even before other passengers have
come out—these and more are welcoming scenes in a nearby train station.
I’ve experienced how it is to be pushed over by throngs of Amazonas
who of course aim to get a seat or a strategic spot (near the entrance). And it’s
not good. Why can’t we just peacefully let the outgoing travellers out first
before we get in?
Getting ahead of someone on the dispense of hurting him or
her is also noticeable in elevators. Everybody’s aiming to push that floor
number before anybody else as if it the elevator will go to a specific floor
that’s buzzed first.
Lahat naguunahan.
Why do we do these? Perhaps, these seemingly simple, mundane
things are one of the easiest ways to feel triumphant over a stranger. It’s
that or we simply don’t know how to pay respect.
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