Why do Indians Jump Lines!

A few days back, my wife and I attended an event conducted by our younger son's school - Oakridge International School in Hyderabad. The topic is about the generation gap. The gap between parents/grandparents and their children. The event was not conducted as a seminar but as a 'mela' in the school lawns. There was a large gathering, and there were snacks and games before the start of the event. The event had two emcees who walked with mikes, chatting with parents and kids, asking questions about their children/parents. Some kids, parents, and grandparents were invited to sit on the dais to participate in the discussions.

The children talked about how the parents' generation, during their young days, had nothing to do in their spare time, so they grew up to be what they are, whereas their generation has many distractions, such as video games, TV, computers, Internet, which keep them busy. Parents, on the other hand, talked about the importance of teaching values to their children. The parents' point of view is that values such as showing respect to elders, following civic rules such as not jumping queues/lines, breaking traffic rules, and public littering are the same irrespective of what generation a person belongs.
After the event, there was a buffet for dinner,r and that is where we can find where the kids were learning their values. The parents started crowding near the serving points. There was no queue, and there was a rush to get served first. The worst are the women, not the children. They simply walk past those in line to the front of the line. One lady, when she got her turn, stood there and called the rest of her family to her and got them all served. One person was politely reminded not to cut the line; she gave the look that could burn you to a cinder, then she proceeded to cut the line right behind me - not a squeak of protest from anybody in the line. (See the picture I took after I extricated myself from the mob!)

This brings me to another experience I had at the world-class class newly constructed airport in Hyderabad. While I was standing in the queue waiting for my turn to check in, a middle-aged gentleman in a suit and tie walked right past me to the counter. When the lady at the counter told him to wait for his turn, he simply shifted to the next counter without hesitation!! While I stared at him to show my displeasure, he looked back at me innocently as if he was unaware of what he had done. In another incident in the same airport, while waiting in a line for coffee, I found my fellow Desis jumping queues all over. When I finally get to the front of the line, I find a guy jumping the line, and I remind him politely about the line. He apologized and stood aside. I asked him to join at the end of the line. He politely asked me not to worry. After I bought my coffee and left the counter, this guy cut the line and was standing at the front of the queue ordering coffee while the rest in the line looked bewildered.

So if you ever wondered why nobody stops at red lights in India, even if they do, why they all want to be in the front at the traffic junction. Why does nobody stick to their lanes in India? Why don't we understand the concept of a queue or line? Ask the grownups and the educated elite. They are the main offenders.

"How do you identify NRIs in India? They are the only ones with the ghoras standing in a line."