What is the problem with Pinoys and following a queue properly?

Filipino Villagers queue for relief goods
by UK Department for International Development (DFID)
is licensed under CC BY 2.0

For all you out there who do not know what a queue is, it's waiting in line or waiting for your priority number to be called. This is one of my pet-peeves. I get really irritated when people cut the line, try to cut the line, or worse cut in front of me when it's my turn to receive customer service. Am I invisible? Parang wala kayong nakikita or ganyan talaga kayo pinalaki na ubod ng bastos. There's also another ingenious way some Pinoys use to cut. It entails the use of this modus operandi of looking for someone you know who is near the front of the line, chat with that person like you're best friends and then inserting yourself like you were in line all along. Pretty slick most especially if the line is long and slow-moving. Another thing I want to point out is the distance between people in the lines- do all of you have to stand so close to me that I can actually smell your bad breathe? And when paying at a cashier, can I at least pick up what I just paid for and get my change before you shove the items in your cart in front of the cashier? If I can wait patiently for my turn that means everyone can as well, kasi alam naman natin na di naman kayo nagmamadali. Sa katunayan nga eh, pagkatapos niyong bayaran lahat ng pinamili ninyo, nakatambay pa kayo sa area o kung hindi, palayo man kayo eh, naglalakad kayo ng ubod ng bagal na isa isa pa kayo nakahilera sa daanan. In all honesty, napapamura talaga ako when I walk behind these people. Fine, Pinoys are finally in line but beside each other not in front of each other hogging the whole walkway. SMH!

So what gives? You know, when I was in grade school, everywhere the class went we had to fall in line. We would raise our hands barely touching the shoulder of the person in front of us and that would remain the space in between us kids as we walked in single file. One side of the hall would be for classes going out of that school wing and the other side for those classes coming in that certain school section. We were not allowed to talk as we walked so we wouldn't disturb other classes. We were asked to line up according to height, small students first, the tallest in the back. What? Not everyone in this country has had the luxury of going to school? Uh, actually I was going to point out that it's the ones that have been to school that usually cut in line or don't know how to queue properly. The people who haven't been to school may be illiterate but they have some common sense- they are street smart while most of the educated pieces of feces, think you are top dog and are the ones I see cutting in line or not queueing properly and kapag sinita kayo, kayo pa ang maangas. Aba? Di mo ako makukuha sa sindak.

For foreigners, I have to mention that it is the policy in the Philippines to give priority to the disabled, to those who are obviously pregnant, and senior citizens although there are some proud senior citizens who line up properly arguing they aren't old but pop out a senior citizen card(bless them). I like these people. Anyway, these three I mentioned have the privilege to go to the front of the queue. My wife when she was 7 months pregnant was always given this privilege. She would always apologize to the people in line though when she was ushered to the front of the line by the security guards. So, don't get ticked off if one of the three cut to the front, it's policy in all establishments here.

People say the reason why most Pinoys line up so close together is that they don't want other people to cut in line or because the space of the supermarket or grocery store is a bit tight. If we follow the logic, all thieves fear other thieves as well and apply that same logic to queuing then, yes the Pinoys fall in line so close to each other to eliminate the possibility of being cut in line. But, I don't totally buy it because there are other Pinoys who don't (these are usually either Pinoys who have experience living abroad or Pinoys who are scared of germs). I believe that the problem of Pinoys (with regards to lining up) stems from culture and the one that all Pinoys hear constantly but, never seem to get in through their thick skulls- the apparent LACK OF DISCIPLINE.

Why culture? We are a country that practices VIP treatment. While other countries practice equality among the rich, the politicians, the educated, the celebrities and the rest of the masses-marginalized or not, the Filipino privileged like to rub it in the faces of the underprivileged that they come first(plus that they can get away with anything even murder). A Caste system of sorts. This practice brings about the lack of empathy between the Pinoys- they don't care about other people, they only care about themselves. A good example is the Philippine government officials: they scrapped plunder and graft and corruption from the list of crimes punishable by death penalty. Thinking only of themselves and not the taxpayers. Also, you have to take into consideration that the privileged Filipinos are few in number compared to the rest. This brings about a stigma within the Filipinos that the VIPs of the land do not have to fight to survive while the rest do, and we all know where that leads- the fittest will survive and usually it's the people who are able to fight, tooth and nail, to get to the front of the line, to get as close to where the priority people are so, they may have a bigger chance of  survival than the rest.

Moreover, Pinoys practice the 3P's- palusot (making an alibi), pakiusap (either asks you for free pass or trying to talk his way out of the situation most especially law enforcement), and pasaway (the Pinoys know it's wrong but, they do it anyway just as long as they don't get caught or not told off).

• For example of palusot - it's your turn to pay but someone cuts in front of you and puts the merchandise that he wants to pay for on the counter which is just a few items. Even though right?You tell that person that you are next in line, the person goes "ah sorry, I just wanted to ask the cashier for something". Bilib ako sa alibi.

• An example of pakiusap- it's your turn in line and there's a long queue. Someone comes up and asks if she can pay first because she's only going to purchase a few items. You, looking at the items she's holding, say OK. Then, lo and behold, she has someone on the side holding a basket of items they need to purchase. This has happened to me-never again.

• For pasaway- my example of number 1 could be an example of pasaway if he got away with it. He knows it's wrong but, he did it anyway.

Another example of pasaway is using the sales personnel at department stores to queue for you so your items get pushed to the front. Good thing the practice has stopped at SM malls. The cashier holds the items and makes the person line up like everyone else. Now, that's progress.

Lack of discipline? Yup, Pinoys are really known for this. If you look through the history of the Philippines, only 5% were educated throughout the Spanish regime. It was only in the 1860's that the school system would branch out to those outside Manila and by that time it was too late. During the Spanish reign, Filipinos were more concerned with revolting against the Spanish than anything else. The Friars who were basically in charge of running the Philipines did not only task themselves with spreading religious doctrine but, land grabbing and oppressing the people as well. When the Americans took over before the WWII and set up (formally) the public school system, the Filipinos were still wary of foreigners. I guess with all the revolts and rebellions, what was embodied in the Filipino was to fight and resist instead of discipline and submission.

Equipped with the 3P's I mentioned earlier and an utter lack of empathy and consideration for other people, they try and sway rules and laws. Problem is, if the government officials who are supposed to be model citizens can get away with murder, then no one will follow. The current president was elected because people wanted an iron grip, but unfortunately, his administration has already run into problems with officials who have broken the law and have not been held accountable. So there's no iron grip- it's just the same sad cycle. This country has to be shown that high-ranking officials can be held accountable for crimes. And that enforcers of the law are impartial and will treat every citizen equally and will be given proper representation (lawyers) if the need arises.

Anyway, even if the government would try and fix the way they enforce laws, I still believe that it is not part of the practice of the Filipino to be disciplined. This is 2017 and just the simple task of queueing and lining up is a difficult challenge for the everyday Pinoy, what more following the law to a T? I guess they really have to make punishments extreme for the Pinoys to follow. As for me, I'm just one person. There is nothing I can do to help change the way the Pinoy lines up except make him aware of the mistakes he does when queueing.

First come, first serve basis should be a strict practice. No more singit even if the person is a VIP in this country. If in other countries, that person is just a regular Joe and has to follow their rules and laws, it should be practiced here. But, until then, good luck in queueing with the Pinoys.

"Bato-bato sa langit, ang tamaan ay  wag magagalit."

-Pinoy Inquisitor will search again.