A week or so ago, as I walked to the spot where we meet our school van for rides to work, I chanced upon something so rare, so nearly impossible, so unexpected…that obviously I whipped out my cell phone to take a picture and started formulating this blog post in my head. Honestly, no one would believe me otherwise. What did I see?
Chinese people waiting in line.
It’s a bit hard to tell, but I promise you, they were lined up single file!
An orderly, calm, quiet, single file line…in China. No pushing. No shouting. No cutting. And no policemen or rent-a-cops around to encourage this behaviour – they did it on their own. Newcomers to the line simply walked up to the end of it and took their place and waited…in China. Did I mention that this happened in China?
I.Was.Floored.
And lest you think poorly of me for thinking poorly of Chinese people, so were my two coworkers already waiting at our designated pick-up spot. They were staring at this phenomenon with their jaws literally wide open. When I joined them and said hello, they couldn’t even tear their eyes away from the scene, as if they thought if they did, the entire thing would evaporate into thin air.
We gaped in silence for a couple of minutes, not speaking. Finally, one of my colleagues asked the question we all wanted the answer to.
“What are they waiting for?”
If you’re familiar with China, you’ll understand our amazement. People just don’t wait in lines here. There doesn’t seem to be such a thing as a queue. It doesn’t happen.
It’s more of a “cluster”.
My head logically tells me that the reason for this is that there are so many people in China, and that Chinese people are told that there are so many people in China so very often, that citizens really are convinced that if they wait patiently, they will never get what they came for. That whatever they are lining up for will have run out by the time they get to the front of the line (and given the history of poverty, food rations, etc., in China’s relatively recent history, it’s not that far off). Also, it’s pretty easy to justify cutting in line when everyone else is doing it, I guess.
But back to those people on the street near my home. Just automatically standing in a line, like it was the most normal thing in the world for them to be doing (which it is, except that this is China, so it isn’t).
What were they waiting for?
I know the answer, but that’s what this contest is about. I want you to give me your best guess, in the comments section, as to what those people so willingly lined up for.
Another picture, a bit closer.
The rules? None, really. Guess as much as you want.
(I will be away for the next week and a half or so, visiting my husband’s family for Spring Festival, and internet/VPN access may be limited or non-existent on my end. Go ahead and guess anyway; when I have a chance, I’ll go through the comments and approve them, so don’t worry if your guess doesn’t show up right away.)
Contest closes? February 14, 2013. And yes, I will post the answer after that, rather than keeping you in infinite suspense (though, that would be fun, too).
The prize (if someone should guess correctly)? Well, that’s the catch – there isn’t really a prize, unless you count the pleasure of knowing you figured out this puzzle, as well as the everlasting respect of me and all my blog readers (that’s like 7 whole people’s respect, guys!). You’ll be able to brag to your friends about this one for years to come. And my readers, when we see you walking down the street, we’ll all be like, “Hey, I totally know that guy/girl. He/She knows how to get Chinese people to stand in line!” I promise.
So, take a gander at the picture again, get the gears turning in your head, and give me your best guesses!
Oh, and Happy Year of the Snake (“She” nian kuai le)!
Given the time of year, I can’t help thinking it’s got to be travel-related somehow, although that doesn’t explain the calmness of the line. So I’ll make two guesses: they are waiting to buy some form of travel ticket, or completely random, they are waiting for some form of free medical treatment! Or guess three – they have been promised some kind of secret free prize but only if they don’t let on to anyone else what is going on or why they are there.
Looking forward to whatever the answer is! Eva, a Chinese Rat
I’m going to guess they’re waiting for some kind of coupon or discount voucher. I am basing this guess on my own experience because once I waited in line for a coupon at the grocery store and almost nobody cut in front of me. So I’m thinking that maybe waiting for coupon’s is the only acceptable time when one can wait quietly and calmly and not cut in front of anyone.
A few options: train tickets, free cabbages, or a song-n-dance mop cabaret act.
This is not possible. When did the world start spinning backwards?
I can’t imagine what could be desired enough for a group of Chinese to wait in line for, but not so desirable for the regular “scrum” queue.
My guess: a package of candy to give children at new year.
Free snakes! Wellll, maybe not. This never would have happened in Changsha or Kunming where I’ve lived, but maybe in Guangzhou.
I’ll guess waiting for a government voucher of some sort.
They are waiting because someone has said there might be a job going that pays good money. What else?
Are you sure it wasn’t a flash mob? Anyway, it had to be something official–that’s the only time I’ve seen a line in China. I would guess they were waiting for some sort of license plate lottery.
Well, if it was a while ago, maybe to have their picture with Santa?
That was actually my husband’s guess. I want to say they are in line for water… but then wouldn’t you and everyone else have been in line with them?
As crazy as it sounds, Germans can’t wait in lines either! My guess? Waiting to meet some kind of celeb or public figure
I’m guessing that, given the time of day, the people ưere ưaiting in line to get their breakfast baozi.
And ít’s Happy Year of the “Little Dragon”. (-:
I also think it must be travel related (bus, taxi, tour guide, contest to win a trip, etc.), store coupon related, or city/government related. Maybe the tour guide/store clerk/government official told them to line up or else there will be consequences? I remember people lining up for the taxi in Shanghai which amazed me; the only one cutting line was non-Chinese(!)
I guess they were doing one of those dance performances – I see them in the park all the time. Or they were waiting for a bride and groom to exit a house.
Since no one was singing badly, I would guess it as for some whiffs of oxygen. from Gerry (who would have loved some whiffs of clean air in China)
mooncakes…
I initially thought protest, as one of the few straight lines I have seen in Beijing was a stand-in on the road. Your mention of no police sort of rules that out though, as that was shut down rather quickly. The only other place I have seen the well formed line is for travel visa – that’s what I’m going with – visa line.
They are waiting for the park to open, it was closed because the park man had a sleep in that day.
Now, what do I reeaally win… haha