The Good Indian's Guide to Queue-jumping

by V. Raghunathan

Lessons in Getting Ahead A wise man once said that half of life is showing up -- and the other half is waiting in line. In a nation of a billion people, there's no escaping queues. We find ourselves in one every day -- whether to board a flight, for a darshan at Tirupati or, if we are less fortunate, to fetch water from municipal taps. We no longer wait for years for a Fiat car or a rotary-dial phone, but there are still queues that may last days, like those for school admissions. And then there are the virtual ones at call centres in which there's no knowing when we will make contact with a human.So if you can't escape 'em, can you beat 'em? Mercifully, yes. And, if so, how can you jump queues better? Which excuse works like a charm? How should you backtrack if someone objects? Does it help to make eye contact? Are we generally accommodating of queue-jumpers and why? More importantly, what does queue-jumping say about us as a people? Does it mean we lack a sense of fairness and basic concern for others? These are questions of everyday survival that bestselling author V. Raghunathan first threw up in Games Indians Play and now takes up at length in The Good Indian's Guide to Queue-jumping.

188 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 10, 2016

Reviews

[Ashima Jain · Rating 5 out of 5]

I find myself picking up a lot of books simply because I love their title, cover, or both. That such selections have been mostly favourable reads is pure reader's luck.

As is clearly evident from what you see here, this one was impossible to resist. And queue-jumping made for an entertaining topic to read about, albeit unusual as it seems.

For starters, the author introduces you to an entire science behind queuing and queue-jumping with this book. It turns out that many researchers and philosophers have dedicated their lives to understand this subject and improve it.

The book begins with the origin of queues, going back into pre-historic times to trace their evolution. It then describes queuing in India and compares it with queuing cultures across the world. There is also a comparison of human queues with those formed by various animals. Then, there are types of queues such as real, virtual, formal, social, overt, covert, implicit, explicit, among others, and their many variants.

Of course, as is their wont, with queues come queue-jumpers and there is an entire section dedicated to queuing and queue-jumping behaviour, queue-jumping propensity, queue-jumping etiquette and strategy.

The psychological experience of queuing and waiting for customer services, queue rage, and their opportunity cost open up a discussion on the economic implications of the subject.

Last but not the least is the study of the professional queuer and queue-jumper. Yes, it just so happens to be a paid profession.

If, after reading all this, you're wondering how someone could write an entire book on queues and queue-jumping, then understand the emotion behind his dedication:
To
The queue of my siblings (two ahead and two behind)
Uma, Rama, Shyama and Ravi

So, if you're in the mood for a good laugh while also picking up some lessons in the Sociology, Psychology and Economics of queuing, you might want to pick this as your next read.

[S.N.Sharma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting analysis

Recommend this book to anyone who is curious about our queuing culture! Filled with insights and backing it with an entertaining analysis, it is a great read.

[Gaurav · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author writes in clear manner about the propensity of Indians to queue jump and how other countries tackle the issue. Really liked the examples provided for each of the argument.

A quick read. The only negative thing I found about it is the title is misleading. The tips and tricks to jump queues are few. It's more of a rant about queue jumping and the bigger picture of problems in India. But a well-informed rant, nonetheless.