Lines

The other day after classes I went outside the school and ordered a snack. There were a number of students who had already ordered ahead of me. I waited.

After I’d waited a while the vendor made a comment about my patience. He wondered that I didn’t tell him to serve me, the teacher, before the students. I told him I didn’t mind waiting my turn.

He responded by saying that foreigners like to wait in line. I’m not sure that I like waiting in lines, but I do think the system of lines is better than people pushing each other around.

He went on to say something that particularly caught me; he said, “Thai people do not like to wait in line. They prefer to cut the line. If they cannot cut the line, they will try to buy the line.”