DAY12: Queue Here

What I am about to tell you is true, though it may be slightly exaggerated.

The human species has evolved/developed a few strange habits. Most of us trust too much in the wisdom of the masses, we are too willing to follow, too happy to comply. Even those who insist that they are forward thinkers, who despise crowd mentality, can sometimes become victim of their pack animal nature. Perhaps it is a form of self-preservation, do what you are told or be left behind, or maybe we have just become too lazy to think for ourselves.

I was bored, and sometimes when you are bored a little retail therapy seems to be the only thing to alleviate the condition. Yeah I know we are all consumers, we have become so desensitised by life that we just want to stuff our emptiness with things bla bla bla...I was in the mood to shop. So I headed off to the nearest mall.

 I am not one that likes to carry cash with me, I prefer plastic, but unfortunately to park at a mall always costs more than the amount of change you happen to have on you, so I had to make a withdrawal. There was a long queue at the ATM, everyone probably had to pay their parking tickets. I am not a fan of queues but sometimes you have to do what you have to do, so I joined it. After about five minutes of standing in the queue I realised there was three ATM cubicles and only two were being used. This was not my first ATM queue rodeo so I know that when an ATM is left untouched there normally is a reason for it, but this one was different. It had no notification, no words to warn that it was somehow out of order, nothing, it seemed to be in perfect working condition and inviting us to stick our cards inside it, yet no one did.  I could not keep silent, my curiosity would never have allowed it. “Why is no one using that ATM” I asked the person in front of me. He just shrugged his shoulders and said that he wasn’t sure. Then the mummers started, I had awakened something. I was not the only one wondering about the unused ATM. Because I dared ask the question we changed from a queue to a small community, united by our confusion over the abandoned ATM. Rumours started flying, “That ATM will swallow your card” one said. “I heard someone used that ATM once, and he ended up having 7 years bad luck” another may have added. People were coming up with excuses as to why they were not using the ATM, simply to justify their strange behaviour, when in reality the ATM remained unused simply because no one was using it.

I decided to be the brave warrior who would dive head first into the unknown. I walked up to the abandoned ATM, I walked with swagger, I was scared but I couldn’t show my fear. I could feel the eyes on me, people holding their breath. “That thing is going to swallow your card” one newcomer to the queue yelled, but I committed, I was taking one for my new ATM queue team. My card went in without a glitch, the machine proceeded to go though the normal instructions with me, I entered my pin, I chose an amount, but the real test was to see if I got my card and my money...and you know what, I did, there was absolutely nothing wrong with that thing...nothing. Somewhere in the queues history someone probably just spaced out, he got distracted by his phone or something and didn’t follow queue etiquette of using the open teller, he probably hovered a little while, and then proceeded to use another teller, thereby cementing the unfortunate ATMs reputation as broken, until one brave warrior was ready to test the truth.
 I thought it was slightly unnecessary but my queue friends applauded my bravery as I walked off with my money and my card intact. I will never see my queue family again, but it warms my heart to know I made their lives a little better that day, by being so incredibly brave I made things go a little faster for all of them...There were rumours that they wanted to erect  a statue in my honour, but I politely declined. I think that may be taking things a little too far.

Sometimes collectively we are very silly, and you don't always have to follow. Don't be scared to take chances, you might just let the queue go faster.