Queue - or the waiting in the line - Well, i am not trying to explain the Operations Research queuing theory here. Instead touching upon the the few lighter moments, experiences and some thoughts
Well, it's a fast world and no one like waiting in a queue. They would rather be doing something else and be productive. Earlier days, it was common to find people catching up on books & newspapers while waiting in the line. Now cell phone has caught up so much that many service counters want you to turn off / hang up cell phone conversations while they help you!
Early during my career, I used to spend time waiting for my appointment in the reception lounges at my supplier/customer locations. Browsing thru job advertisements in newspapers/business / IT magazines was my favorite time pass. I would quickly write down any interesting posts and then apply for it. One such post took me to a quick interview trip to Chennai. Who said waiting is boring, I've had some good friends while waiting for my job interviews. Those 10-15 mins conversations with the fellow interviewees have given me so many leads. I suppose waiting in the line comes with the culture, to some extent.
In the USA, people have abundant patience to wait forever in the line and don't always show their frustation. Welcome to India, the sheer population will inevitably lead to long queues wherever the services are in great demand. This is true mostly with the utilities payment, railway/ bus ticket booking. Thanks to e-ticketing and ebills - things have improved drastically and reduced the waiting time in the queues. Unlike USA, In India it is usual to find people watching(staring) at others, while waiting. While too much of staring may be objectionable, occasional glances are okay!
I would say waiting in the line is more easy and entertaining in India than the USA. I've categorized queues in to following categories:
a) Serpentine - like a snake originating from the counter and all the way to the road!: This happens mostly in places where the waiting is not foreseen/seasonal / occasional.
b)Box type - This one's present in the US too - especially airports. Here the waiting is foreseen and organized in the orderly way. There is a temporary / fixed barricade so there is no confusion and jumping ahead.
c)"Magnet" Queue: This is very popular in India. The queue runs along the wall of the building and there are queue masters stationed to counter any gatecrushing or jumping ahead. This makes it more orderely and worthy for those who came in early. This is quite common in utility payments and some movie theaters
d)"Multiplication" Queues: Simply means one person in the queue is suddenly joined by his family / friends!. This irritates the people behind but they cannot complain unless there is scarcity of services like limited tickets or whatever - Very common in stadiums, movie theaters.
e)Phantom type: Or proxy waiting - Yes sometimes it's possible to pay someone to wait on your behalf and later take their place. This is valid in events / services where there is high interest or huge demand like important cricket matches.
f)Premium queue: Adding this one after seeing comments from my friend Mahesh. This is like an advance booking for a slot in the queue - like booking visa appointment at US Consulates in India. Tirupathi temple - Which assigns serial numbers to people who opt for free darshan, so the people can go off the queue and spend time else where and rejoin at the allotted time. Then
the temple also offers less wait time options on the paid tickets.
g)Special Entry: Very much valid in India - VIP, VVIPs and influential folks never spend time waiting in the line!. Doors open automatically for such people!
The list goes on and on...how do you spend your time waiting in line?
