Line Cutting, Part Duex

[Pat_Elliott]

I know the line-cutting thread and its subsequent debate about the ins and outs of wheelchairs was closed and I hope I'm not way over-stepping my bounds by sort of re-opening it, but heck, I never got to speak!

What I do with line-cutters, rude smokers, ill-behaved children, people who push me during parades, and those who've had a few too many Harps in Epcot and think I find it funny they wish to have an affair with Cinderella:

Ignore it.

Twenty years ago when I first started visiting WDW, I found line-cutters and their ilk repulsive. I'd stew all day until some poor soul became the person to step in front of me at the wrong time, then I'd do something I thought was unbelievably cute. I'd come home and tell people about the jerk that cut me off, and how I showed him and his whole family.

Then I got married and took my wife to Disney. After the first trip, as we flew back I asked her if she wanted to go again soon. Her answer was no, because all I'd done leading up to the trip was reminisce about rude people and ills done to me, and tell her to prepare for it. Then the whole time I was there, all I did was complain about the five or six people out of some 100,000 we'd encountered in a week that I perceived had wronged me. Her opinion: a couple grand is a lot of money to spend on nit-picking. Especially since she was able to quickly point out to me three or four times that morning that I'd done something that, no matter how inoffensive I might have found it, violated someone else's space.

So now I make a quick decision when I see something like that: was I personally affronted (e.g. is someone currently standing on my foot and would I like to politely ask them to back off)? If not, to heck with it. Every person that cuts in front of me in line costs me about ten seconds. Boiling about it costs several minutes. There's virtually no situation you can throw at me that doesn't fall under the category of no-big-deal unless you make it one. Rude people will be rude people. People who are in some way handicapped, whether by birth or self-affliction, would probably trade places with me in a second. And the screaming kids buzzing around like bees in a field of azaleas are kids and they're excited.

Since I came to this compromise with myself, I sure have enjoyed the World a lot more. I'd suggest trying it. And thanks: After our last trip, I had two cents left. Had to put it in!

 

[jmkst58]

Good for you! I had to learn this the hard way too.....LOL

 

[Hollymom1229]

Pat_Elliott, a round of applause for you, it's a great thing to see someone who won't let themself be victimized by whatever perceived harms come their way.

 

[Belle5]

I'm impressed that you were able to take hold of your emotions and change your outlook! I will think about that next time I get irritated at the parks.

 

[JeannieNM]

__________________________________________________
"People who are in some way handicapped, whether by birth or self-affliction, would probably trade places with me in a second. "
_________________________________________________

I am trying to take your advice and not be overly sensative but I do find this statement offensive. While I hope that was not the intent. To think that you think people are only handicapped by birth or sef-inflection is very scary.

Also, I do not understand why handicapp people would be grouped with rude people. Granted all groups of people have those that are rude but as a Parapeligic and full-time wheelchair user I would never think of myself as rude. (neither from birth or self-affliction)

Maybe I am being Naive but I do not get it...

Jeannie

 

[RoutemanDan]

Bravo Pat_Elliott! Food for thought,Thank you.

 

[drogerstn]

JeannieNM, you would have to read the thread and debate that Pat_Elliott was referring to in order to understand his post. The poster wasn't grouping handicapped people with the rude no more than grouping them with "screaming kids buzzing around like bees".

To think that you think people are only handicapped by birth or sef-inflection is very scary.

So other methods of becoming handicapped were not mentioned, what's the big deal and why does this scare you? You are losing focus on the point of the post.

 

[JeannieNM]

I did not read the original posts so I will assume what does not make sense would have been clearer had I read the posts.

I do not think I lost the point of the post.

and why it is scary is... while this person is changing his ways, his statement appears to reflect misunderstanding of what causes disabilities. Misunderstandings lead to discrimination.

Anyway I did preface this with I clearly I am trying to comprehend something in the middle of the thread so it is best if I just forget it and assume I am the one who misunderstood.

jeannie

 

[nativetxn]

JeannieNM,perhaps Pat_Elliott did not make his thoughts about handicaps perfectly clear but I do not believe that his intention was in any way negative. I am sure that he can speak for himself.

The earlier post got sidetracked when the topic of people "faking" a disability was brought into the mix. I think the self inflicted comment was probably referring to people who "pretend" to have a disability hoping for special treatment.

I may be mistaken. I do hope that this thread does not become another argument because I would hate to have to lock it too. Let's all take a deep breath, step back and consider the moral of the story. I understood the moral to be:

<i>Relax and let the magic find you, if you spend a large amount of time looking for something to be upset or angry about you will find it. Little things like line cutters are not important enough to allow it to affect your enjoyment of WDW.</i>

Once again, I could be wrong.

Katholyn

 

[DisFam4]

Katholyn
I would say that you are right on the money. I do not think that Pat_Elliott had ANY ill intent in his posting. On the contrary, it sounded just the opposite.
YMMV

 

[JJS2K3]

Line cutting never really bothered me and I hardly even notice when it happens. What does make me uncomfortable are the folks that get in (and stay in) my personal space while waiting on a line. Sometimes it's just kids who don't know any better, sometimes it's adults. Constant bumping & nudging and not being able to move without someone there.

The few times I've tried to ask politely people have looked at me like I have 3 heads and after 5 minutes return to the same behavior. My DW sometimes acts as a 'human shield' when she sees it happenning but then we're both wrapped up in it instead of enjoying each other's company. I've read the posts about some folks using the 'contagious/coughing' method but that doesn't seem like a good option for me. Any other ideas on how to deal with this?

 

[Pat_Elliott]

Dear Jeannie, et al,

Trust me, with all my heart, you've taken my post wrong. And I'd certainly hate to be responsible for this going where the last post went. I felt antsy reopening that door. My apologies to the moderator.

I originally posted this assuming anyone reading it would have read the original. Go find the last post and re-read it, then read the following and see if it makes sense. I apologize to the group for this being so long, but I feel the need both to make Jeannie feel better and to re-iterate my original intent, lest someone else read it the wrong way.

The original post was a question of "how do you handle people who cut in front of you in line?" I read, with amazement, four pages that went through a tundra of various things that cause angst in the parks. Halfway through, it somehow turned into a debate over wheelchairs and handicapped folks, whether someone who was obese deserved the same special access as someone with a birth defect or a disease, and various stuff that had me shaking my head a little. I wasn't sure how the post came to that. My thought was "these folks have spent more time writing about the issue than the time the issues cost them in park time."

That's not the only post of that nature I've read through. Here's an example that hit home for me.
Recently, a post on smoking in non-smoking areas started, and one or two folks went the direction that basically, anyone that smokes must be rude. I interjected myself into that one. As a smoker, I find offense that someone would see me lighting up a cigarette in an approved area and assume I'm a rude person. I can assure you, far from it, I not only light up only in approved areas, I put it out when children venture into the area, even if there are a couple dozen other people also smoking there. I tend to try and not offend anyone at any cost.

My point there was that smokers aren't rude people. Rude people are rude people. There have been rude people, there are rude people, and there will continue to be rude people. I read a lot of suggestions on how to one-up someone being rude by embarrassing them with wit or accosting them in some polite way. These are both things that can cause a scene, cause a fight, or at the least cause both you and your tormentor to be angry. And when you walk away, the rude person will always be rude. I think there are times that call for a stand, like when someone is smoking in a non-smoking area and you have an asthmatic child, or when teenagers are cutting in line intentionally to get a rise out of someone (I mention that because I've seen it). Those are times to get a CM involved, not be a hero or a comedian.

But by and large, WDW tends to be full of kind, caring people. I can understand why folks will waste hours complaining about someone cutting in front of them, because I used to do the same thing. But in the end, the largest number of "incidents" on a given trip was maybe half a dozen. If someone cut in front of me sixr times and I had to wait for the next train at Thunder Mountain, then these "incidents" may have cost me fifteen minutes of my life. How incredulous that I used to spend hours complaining to my friends about it when I got home, not to mention the average of half an hour it took me to cool off while in the park. How silly.

And everything that happens that folks complain about isn't a direct result of a "rude person." I used to hate kids running around banging into me, and I rued their parents lagging behind not wanting to do anything about it. Now I see it for what it is. Kids are kids. They're in Disney, they're excited. And the parents have been trying to keep up with their kids all day long in Disney, and they're hot, tired, and just don't have the motor to run after the little one's and keep saying "no" every five minutes. Likewise, if some six foot two redhead is moving slow in front of you (that's me!) and you can't get around, know that if I had my druthers, I'd be five foot nine.

Thus my original point, which is why, oh why do we do all this complaining about what has to be a minutia of Disney visitors? If someone's putting your health in danger, or is in your face, or is threatening in some way, get a CM and have them dealt with. Beyond that, if someone cuts in front of you in line, shrug it off and enjoy the fact that in Disney, you probably run into a smaller percentage of people being rude than you do driving to work each day.

As for your personal concerns, I think most of your misunderstandings come from A) not reading the first thread; and B) me trying to make the first message a little shorter than this one. It's sometimes hard to be concise when you're trying not to be the guy that writes three-page posts. Your statements and my direct answers:

<To think that you think people are only handicapped by birth or <self-inflection is very scary.

I don't think that. Folks were arguing that maybe it's ok for someone to have special wheelchair access if their handicap wasn't there fault, but those whose handicap was obesity didn't deserve it. I say that when someone is in a wheelchair, I respect their right to have the access they require to enjoy the park properly. And ultimately, I was chiding those who would waste oh-so-much-time debating something that just isn't a "problem" in the parks.

<while this person is changing his ways, his statement appears <to reflect misunderstanding of what causes disabilities. <Misunderstandings lead to discrimination.

I've volunteered with various organizations for the handicapped over the years and am proud to have organized a little league team locally that lets handicapped kids enjoy organized ball, no matter what their handicap is or how they got it. Trust me, I have no misunderstanding of what causes disabilities. My point was to say I don't care what causes someone's disability when I'm in Disney. If they need help, I'm not going to question what the cause of their affliction is, I'm going to applaud Disney for providing that service.

<Also, I do not understand why handicapp people would be <grouped with rude people. Granted all groups of people have <those that are rude but as a Parapeligic and full-time wheelchair <user I would never think of myself as rude. (neither from birth or <self-affliction)
They shouldn't be. I wasn't the one that did it. I again encourage you to re-read the full thread that I'm responding to. I think you'll find you're accusing me of that which I was debating against. The thread started out dealing with the rudeness of line-cutting, and became a debate of whether one handicap was more deserving of help than another. To put it bluntly, my point is whether it's a line cutter, a smoker, an out of control child, or a person in a wheel chair going in a side-entrance to Space Mountain, consider how much time you spend complaining about it as versus how much time it really cost you. I'm not comparing handicapped citizens with rude people. More than anything, I'm giving rude people a break, because there the term "rude" is too subjective.

So there you go Jeannie. I wrote all this because I wanted you to "get it." And I again implore you to re-read the original thread. I'm on your side. You've got my word.

To the moderator and the rest of the group, on my honor, I promise to never write more than three consecutive paragraphs again, and I promise to never unilaterally re-open a closed post again. To those that have written in support, if you do "get it," spread it around. Turn the other cheek, not because you believe it morally, but because turning the other cheek is just so much easier than wasting precious park time stewing.

Pat

 

[Pat_Elliott]

Originally posted by nativetxn
<i>Relax and let the magic find you, if you spend a large amount of time looking for something to be upset or angry about you will find it. Little things like line cutters are not important enough to allow it to affect your enjoyment of WDW.</i>

Katholyn

Katholyn,

You have a much greater economy with words than I. The above paragraph kind of represents my intent with far less fanfare. I hope the long post succeeds in better explaining my intention. Perhaps it didn't need to be said in the first place. So sorry

 

[JudithM]

Years ago a friend shared a comment with me - "Choose your battles." Pat, I suspect you learned to choose your battles by not "sweating the small stuff." These types of phrases have helped me live a better life!

And, Pat, to you from one who uses an ECV/scooter at WDW, I understood what you were saying about trading places/knees with someone like me. I appreciate the understanding!

 

[DMRick]

Why can't this just be about line cutting, instead of going back to the last thread that was locked? You see, once you give your opinions about what the last thread meant, then others should get to give their opinion about what it meant..and we are right back where we started. That thread was locked..and a thread shouldn't be restarted, and the same subject revisited, just because someone feels they can explain the issue better. If you have to refer the person back over to the other thread, than this isn't a new thread..but part two of the the old thread.

Personally, I'd like to see this start over, and be just about line cutting. Not who has the right to line cut, not what someone in the other thread meant, not about obesity, etc..just about real line cutting.

We personally just look the other way..it keeps my blood pressure down, and allows me to enjoy the day. I can't control other people, and I'm there to have fun, not waste time being angry. We don't strategize ahead of time, or worry about it happening..we just go with the flow. I have to admit however, that for a laugh, I do like the heavy cough, and the comment made in the "other" thread, about (paraphrased) darn it..I don't care what the doc said..strep throat or not, I'm going to enjoy Dis!

 

[SueM in MN]

I learned a long time ago to only worry about the things I can do something about. Why worry or get upset about things I can't change or make an impact on? So, I have some words of wisdom to share from the World Famous Pike Place (Seattle) Fish Market (from the book "FISH"):

When you are doing what you are doing, who are you being? Are you being impatient and bored, or are you being world famous? You are going to act differently if you are being world famous. Choose to make today a good day.

Don't let distractions destroy the quality which is present in each moment.

To bring this to WDW, we may not have any choice about some things. The lines are likely to be long, we might have to wait for the bus, it will be hot, or rainy, other people may be grumpy, cut in line, sit in the middle of the row,;but can I change those things? Not likely.
What I can do is choose my attitude. I choose to remember that I am on vacation and I came to have fun. If some of those people choose to be grumpy, rude or irritating, they are probably not having much fun. That's their problem and I choose not to let it become mine.

 

[figmentvi]

Years ago, I too adopted the same outlook as Pat_Elliot. I've taken well over 20 trips to WDW since 1978 and have encountered rude people and folks who were absolute gems.

If someone feels compelled to cut in front of me while standing in line, I take the attitude of "Go right ahead". Standing in a line at WDW beats the heck out of most things (especially work ) any day of the week. In fact, I wish I was in WDW so badly right now that I'd stand in a line and let EVERYONE cut in front of me.

The moral of my story.........don't stress about line cutters, they're not worth it.

 

[Pienut]

I'd like to think I can learn from your lesson. I don't worry too much about that stuff, I figure if you're in such a rush you have to cut ahead of me...go for it! I will point out to my kids that its rude and to remember how it feels so they don't do it as well. Then I eat a Mickey Pop...they make EVERYTHING better!

 

[Synonymous]

How very well said, Pat. Thanks for a great reminder.

 

[w8ting4pooh]

We were outside waiting in a cueing to see Blue at King's Dominion and the family behind us would NOT back off. After 20 minutes or so of the Dad and the kids of the other family constantly bumping into me as I moved forward, I sunk to changing a very smelly diaper to get him to back off. Not my proudest moments but boy did it work. So if you can change a diaper on a child who is standing up, this might work if you are desperate.