Don't Cross the Line while Waiting in Line

The 14th century poet, Dante Aligheiri, wrote of the nine circles of suffering located within the Earth in the epic poem, Divine Comedy. If he were alive today, he probably would have included a tenth circle of suffering on Earth, which we know as the waiting line at the DMV.

It is a common occurrence for there to be someone ignoring their screaming child, or a person hacking up a lung right next to you; and don’t forget the person that doesn’t understand personal space. However, we have to stand in line anywhere we go whether it is for 10 minutes or, in some cases, for days!

Kanye West’s new Air Yeezy 2 shoes sold out in about an hour in Detroit last month where people waited in line for over four days! A woman in Columbia waited in line for a full day just to be the first person to walk into a brand new Krispy Kreme so she would be the grantor of a dozen donuts every week for the following year.

In total, during a lifetime, a person could spend as much as 2 to 3 years waiting in line.   In order to make the best of it there are a few ways to make it less grueling. First, try to adhere to a few waiting in line etiquette rules:

• Never cut in line-the people already in line have the same right to be helped as you do.
• Be aware of personal space-there is nothing worse than having a stranger breathing on your neck or bumping into you and having nowhere to go. Try to remember the person in front of you is as far forward as they can go.
• Pay attention-if the line moves, make sure to move with it. Also, be aware that it is your turn to keep the line moving.

In an interview situation how well you wait can determine whether you get the job or not. When an extended wait is required don’t act like a child running around, screaming, crying, being disrespectful, or complaining.  

Stock your phone with books, games and music to keep you entertained. If you’re going to be stuck in a cell free zone then plan ahead by packing magazines, drawing tools, or something to crochet. By the time it’s your turn you could have a new hat finished.

Sometimes you get stalled unexpectedly though so pass the time with mind games. See if you can spot all of the letters of the alphabet from where you’re waiting. Pick out patterns in the décor or people around you or count anything around you.  Hopefully you won’t descend too deep into the circles of suffering and you can move quickly from waiting on the interview to waiting on the call back.