Cutting in line
Videos
Cutting in line is the act of entering a queue or line at any position other than the end. The act is extremely stigmatized in most human cultures and stands in stark contrast to the normal policy of first come, first served that governs most queue areas.
A queue on an open sidewalk in Poland
Sign at Notting Hill Carnival offering a "queue jump" for toilet facilities, for a fee
1940s poster promoting safety procedures during civil defense air raid drills
Between 14 and 19 September 2022, a queue of mourners waited to file past the coffin of Elizabeth II while she lay in state at Westminster Hall in London, England. The Queen had died on 8 September, and had previously lain in rest in St Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh from 12 to 13 September. On official signs the queue was named "lying-in-state queue" and in contemporary media coverage it was simply called "The Queue".
The queue along the Albert Embankment and crossing Lambeth Bridge on the afternoon of 14 September. The Palace of Westminster is in the background, across the River Thames.
Mourners filing past Elizabeth II's coffin in Westminster Hall
Coloured wristband issued to mourners joining the queue, allowing them to temporarily leave it while retaining their place.
Queuers negotiating U-turn barrier paths at Southwark Park, then the back of the queue, on 16 September 2022.