The British Queue

“An Englishman, even if he is alone, forms an orderly queue of one.”
From How to be an Alien By George Mikes

The British people are know for their queuing. Getting into orderly lines ranks among their greatest skills. To ensure that the international students just arriving at Warwick learned this skill the school kindly provided us with a day of queuing. While they claimed that the queues had a purpose - getting our school IDs, paying our fees, registering with the health facility, opening a bank account - we all knew that the real skill being cultivated was queuing.

Once, clearly just to improve our understanding of the queuing process, they had us form two lines; both of which went to the same set of people. We did, however, successfully make those two lines, so their plan worked.
There are very strict and unspoken queuing rules in Britain. The first rule of British queuing is never budge but wait your turn; from this foundation all other rules stem. People in Europe force their way, refusing to create queues at all, elbowing their way to the front of the queue. In America we aren't as forward but sneak ahead through stealth maneuvers when others aren't looking.
While acknowledging that queuing is the norm there is an underground movement led by rebel international students who refuse to always form a queue. As one of their leaders (who must remain unnamed to protect his/her Identity) said at a bus stop, "they are forming a queue here, but we aren't going to get in it."
The tension between the queuing British and unqueuing rebels is palatable at points. One day full rebellion will break out...I just hope I won't be here to see it.