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All across the Great Western territory => Across the West => Topic started by: Chris from Nailsea on April 17, 2011, 21:29:30



Title: British people offer a helping hand - but draw the line at queue-jumping
Post by: Chris from Nailsea on April 17, 2011, 21:29:30
From the Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/8455619/British-people-offer-a-helping-hand-but-draw-the-line-at-queue-jumping.html):

Quote
The strapping young army officer did not hesitate when he saw 22-year-old Claire Hayhurst struggling with a heavy suitcase.
Already carrying his bicycle with one hand Lt George Goucher, 25, scooped up the luggage with his other hand and lifted it up the steps at Bath Spa station.
What Lt Goucher, from the 3rd Battalion Yorkshire Regiment, did not know is that he was one of many people unwittingly taking part in a Sunday Telegraph study to test claims by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), an international think tank, that the British are among the most helpful people in the world. "Helping others is a very British thing," he said, pleased to have been "caught" in an act of kindness. "We are brought up to do what we can."
The OECD report, published last week, placed Britain near the top of an international league table of "kindness" after asking people if they had volunteered, given money to charity or helped a stranger over the last month - what it called "pro-social behaviour".
This newspaper tested the "helpfulness" of British people in three cities - London, Bath and Durham - and in three ways.
We wanted to find out if they would help a young researcher carry a suitcase up a flight of steps; help a "lost" visitor with directions; and allow a traveller "in a hurry" to jump the queue at a taxi rank or train station.
Britons passed the suitcase test with flying colours. In each city the researcher was helped within minutes - often within seconds - by a stream of generous-spirited people.
Although some hard-hearted types glanced shiftily at the suitcase and walked straight past, many people, even workers rushing back to the office after lunch, or hurrying to catch a train themselves, still found time to show the kindness of strangers.
No teenagers offered their services but the helpers' ages ranged from 22 to 59, with most in their 40s and 50s.
About a third were women. In London, 55-year-old Caroline Berrick, a science technician from Brighton, was quick to help 20-year old Katie Kibbler, a student, haul her suitcase up a daunting flight of steps off Pall Mall, a task that left most helpers out of breath. "If I see someone struggling I will help and I think most British people are the same," she said.
In Bath, Alison Pegg, 40, from Cirencester, told her two young children to carry on walking up the steps while she offered assistance to Miss Hayhurst.
Some traditionally-minded men saw it as an act of gallantry to help women struggling with heavy luggage.
"Chivalry is not dead and one should always help a damsel in distress", said Philip Beard, 49, from Wandsworth, who works in sports marketing. "Plus it only takes a few minutes and it's a good bit of exercise."
In Durham, John Parkin, 56, a civil servant, was walking in the opposite direction when he spotted our researcher Zoe Beaty, 23, with two heavy suitcases. He turned back and carried both suitcases up the flight of 35 steps leading to the train station. "It's appropriate and accurate that Britain is described as one of the more helpful countries," he said. "We're a nation of gentlemen and women. There are a few that aren't - they let Britain down. But the majority are very kind."
Stewart Davidson, 30, a BT worker who helped Miss Beaty, said: "Most of us have fantastic manners in Britain. We get a lot of bad press so it's good that we've been commended for some of the little things that matter."
The British also triumphed in the "directions test" when the researchers stood, map in hand, looking lost in a strange city and waiting for somebody to help.
It took longer, however, for help to be offered in London - nine minutes, compared with a maximum of five in Bath and Durham.
Most people who came to their aid said they empathised with the "lost traveller" because they had been in that situation themselves. Linda Bevan, 46, a teacher from Bath, said: "I have been helped out so many times and it's nice to reciprocate."
In Durham, PC Brendan Barton, 40, was quick to help with directions. "Britain is definitely one of the kinder countries," he said. "But people are friendlier and more helpful in the North than in the South and especially London."
As if to prove the point, two Northerners, David Hodgson, a social worker, and his wife Lynn, both 53, from Consett, Co Durham, and regular visitors to London, said they had already had a busy day helping others in the capital before giving directions to Miss Kibbler. "We helped a woman with a buggy go down steps on the Embankment and found a lost child in the Tate gallery," Mr Hodgson said proudly.
But the third test proved to be the hardest for the British. Asking them to allow somebody to jump a queue because they were "in a hurry" provoked a conflict between the desire to be helpful and the British view that the queue, symbol of order and civilised behaviour, is sacrosanct.
At train stations and taxi ranks people were reluctant to relinquish their place in the line.
"You are very rude," one surly man said to Miss Hayhurst in Bath.
A middle-aged woman opined: "You should have got here earlier. We all have to wait so why shouldn't you?"
Miss Hayhurst said: "People have been helpful all day but it looks like, for the British, jumping the queue is beyond the pale."
And at least the researchers were helped with their suitcases and directions - although they were all young women.
Our reporter was steadfastly ignored.


Title: Re: British people offer a helping hand - but draw the line at queue-jumping
Post by: JayMac on April 17, 2011, 21:54:00
Boarding the 1147 Bristol TM to Paignton service last Wednesday, I went out of my way to help a young mother, with two children in tow, unload her pushchair and large suitcase. Doing so meant I missed the opportunity to bag a decent forward facing window seat on the HST. I was disappointed to see many people push past this lady and her children while she was attempting to gather her case and pushchair from the luggage rack.

I lifted off the younger of the two children who appeared worried about the gap between the train and the platform and then grabbed the pushchair and suitcase. I considered unfolding the pushchair on the platform as well, but experience has taught me that some pushchairs' folding mechanisms are beyond the wit of a bloke.  ;D

And queue jumping is a definite no-no - be it those queueing or those providing the service to the queue. I recently witnessed an argument between two taxi drivers at the rank outside Bristol TM that descended into mild fisticuffs. One cabbie had pulled in front of another. Second cabbie jumped out of his taxi and proceeded to remonstrate with the queue jumper. First cabbie gets out and it all became a bit 'handbags at dawn.' A third cabbie got involved and seperated the two.


Title: Re: British people offer a helping hand - but draw the line at queue-jumping
Post by: Brucey on April 18, 2011, 08:58:36
A few years ago, I witnessed queue jumping at La Rochelle station in France.  A lady turned up with minutes to spare for the TGV to Paris.  She started at the back and asked every person in the queue (I assume) if she could move forwards (my French is so poor, she couldn't been asking me anything!)  Every person allowed her to do so, which is certainly not something I would expect to see if the UK.

Considering Railway Byelaw number 1 is "Queueing", it must be considered a British past-time  :D


Title: Re: British people offer a helping hand - but draw the line at queue-jumping
Post by: Tim on April 18, 2011, 10:21:28
I was under the impression that Bath was full of lost tourists looking at maps and I've helped a fair few of them. Now it turns out that they have all been researchers for the OECD.  I feel I have been experimented on without my consent  ;D


Title: Re: British people offer a helping hand - but draw the line at queue-jumping
Post by: Glovidge on April 22, 2011, 23:45:52
This reminds me of a time when I got a train from Cologne to Dusseldorf with a severe hangover. Living up to their national stereotype all the Germans rushed straight  onto the train ignoring a woman with a baby in a pram and noone offered to help her. Using the international language of signage I indicated that I would.

Unfortunately I misjudged the weight of the pram and allied with my severe hangover as I lifted, the pram tilted so the baby was dangling between the train and the platform.  :o Whoops.

Still no harm done as I quickly managed to use two hands instead of one (oo-er)


Title: Re: British people offer a helping hand - but draw the line at queue-jumping
Post by: JayMac on April 23, 2011, 00:18:01
Living up to their national stereotype all the Germans rushed straight onto the train....

..... putting a towel on the seat then going to the bar car?

 ;D


Title: Re: British people offer a helping hand - but draw the line at queue-jumping
Post by: thetrout on April 25, 2011, 04:21:46
I'm always happy to help someone... Infact, I saw an older chap desperately trying to access the First Class Lounge at Manchester Piccadilly, but he was struggling with a very heavy suitcase. I explained that I was also heading for the First Class Lounge and offered to carry it for him, which he was very grateful of. He tried to reward me with a pound but I politely declined to accept it :)

I do though despise queue jumping :o If i'm waiting for something and someone jumps the queue. Saying "I'll queue here then" rather loudly and moving behind that person pulls off some interesting reactions! I am sort of a hypocrite though and I will jump a queue for a bog, But only because I have such a weak bladder that it could result in rather embarrassing consequences.........



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