today I was waiting for train. Most of the people group up, waiting for the doors to open. It creates a bit of a back up, and does make it a bit hard for people on the platform to get by if they need to.
But then someone passes me on the right by walking on a different set of tracks.
This bothers me on several levels. First, there are signs all over that say not to step off the platform onto the tracks for any reason. It is potentially dangerous, although I admit that it would be hard to miss a train coming in to the station and get hit while doing this. Second, apparently this guy thinks that, because he is being inconvenienced, he gets to do whatever he wants to get himself in a better position. It doesn't matter that the rest of us are waiting and are actually abiding by the rules of the train station. This arouses in me the almost the same ire as if someone cut in line in front of me.
Now, I am not against rule breaking in general. Many of our technological marvels wouldn't exist if someone hadn't been willing to break some rules. However, that is not the same as someone who cuts in line. There are a few universal rules that we all have to suffer under and waiting in line is a fundamental one. We all have to do it, and it is rude to assume that you have some sort of right to get around it that doesn't apply to the rest of us.
Now, you might be thinking 'well, maybe we could ALL not stand in line.' I think that is obviously the way to chaos.
Creative people don't break the old rules, they come up with new rules that make the old ones obsolete. Maybe think about it like this: Innovators don't cut in front of others in the current line, they create a new, better line.
Like the line for the new iPhone.
You would not do well in China :) Nobody stands in line here. The "rule" is, whoever manages to push their way to the front, gets to be first. Elbows out everyone!
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