Cue anger – we just won't stand for it any more

WE ONCE had a reputation for queuing. But this benign social phenomenon is breaking down. A survey tells us nearly half the UK population suffers "queue rage". More than one in four raise their voices or get angry with staff, while three in four have stormed off, vowing never to return.

Some blame the culture of "I want it now", others the rise of e-shopping, while many cite a general corrosion of manners. There's also poorly staffed shops, untrained assistants and, of course, shoppers who dither, use a credit card for a 1.50 item or treat any venue as a tourist information centre.

Some shops are notorious for short-fuse queues. A tell-tale sign is a little card on the counter reminding customers that is an offence to assault staff. Many find the Post Office an experience akin to a slow-motion national breakdown. Who relishes being stuck behind someone trying to ascertain the second-class post rate for sending a euphonium to Wagga Wagga, and where should he stick the stamps on the bubble wrapping? At railway stations, we just want a cheap day return, while the backpacker in front with the billy cans dangling from his rucksack seeks an all-points-round-Scotland ticket on a Sunday three weeks hence. And telephone shopping? "Please pick from the following five options …" Best, some days, to stay at home until the mood passes.