The line up - Brits don't like it

Love those surveys! Yet another one out of Britain, a country that appears to enjoy doing surveys scientific and other-wise, focusing on an act we all do and yet many of us despise doing it. A busy day at the supermarket is a common place where people of all ages gather in large numbers while doing it. The "it" in this case is having to wait in line to pay or do anything, actually.

According to the survey conducted on-line, the average British adult is able to line up for 10 minutes and 42 seconds before expressing their frustration. How, one wonders, did they calculate that 42 seconds but I digress. It's sort-of surprising given the Brits tolerance for things. The most disliked line ups were - surprise - at the supermarkets in addition to the post office and airport check-in and security.

People in the 55 years of age and over category become restless 3 minutes before younger people, however, those 35 years of age and under were more likely to take their frustration out on whoever happens to be handy at that time. This could mean, one presumes, getting verbally nasty. Seems what really aggravates those surveyed is when people dawdle. This is logical if, for example, a cashier and customer discuss and plan social events while the line grows and grows, or when the person in front has a conversation on her/his cell phone and loses track of time, or when people decide to get rid of all that heavy, pesky change... Ask me about it! But again I digress.

To avoid having to wait in line, most Brits prefer to pay their bills on-line, something that is popular with people living in North America and most likely all over the planet.

The on-line poll of 2,006 adults found that one in five people do their shopping at night to avoid the lines. It would be interesting if somebody would conduct a similar poll to see how people living in other countries feel about lining up. Would, for example, culture play a part in how people would react? Weather conditions? So how do people reading this feel about lining up?