"Polite Queueing" day in Beijing

11 February was "Polite Queueing Day" in Beijing. Last time I was in China, queueing was an alien concept to the Chinese, even impolite queueing had no place in Chinese society, but how it's changed. This time around I noticed right away, that in some places, something resembling queueing and waiting your turn has started to be introduced. In many, busy bus and train stations, it has been enforced by placement of metal barriers, which prevents most (but not all) attempts to join the queue at the front rather than at the back. But in other places, shops, boarding metro's, buses, ordering in cafes, it is down to the individual's attitude still, there are plenty of occasions when standing at the front of the counter is of no value when someone three rows behind you has a long arm and louder voice, or when a metro door is about to open and the 10 or so people who were standing quietly behind you, suddenly burst through pushing and shoving everyone out of the way to get to a seat first.. But it is nowhere near as bad as it used to be, the Chinese (and the Russians) are becoming more 'polite'.

It is something I observed also in Russia compared to last time, a huge change in people's attitudes which make trying to buy something like a train ticket a far less harassing event than it used to be.. I even had occasions in Russia where the people behind me tried to help clarify things when I clearly had problems understanding some Russian question.

While, I found the old style to be an amazing, fascinating, unbelievable, cultural idiosyncrasy of some Asian countries' cultures, (when not in the middle of it that is). When involved in the scrum it is one of the most frustrating experiences in the world. I'm all for this bit of change though, although it will be a shame to no longer be able to sit and watch the endless jostling for position that used to take place, all just for getting a train ticket, it ws such an entertaining sight !