You’re at a restaurant. They give you a drink cup and you walk over to the drink area. It’s a drink dispenser where you put your cup under the particular soda you want and press the button to fill the cup.
You wouldn’t think it takes long to press the right button, fill the cup for six seconds, and move on with life. But for some people, it is. I am often surprised by how hard this technology must be.
Now you are at the fountain dispenser. The person in front of you is filling from the slot on the far right. The soda you want is on the far left. The question is: Is it acceptable for you to come around and start filling your cup before that person is done? I say yes, and I do it. Why not? You’re not slowing them down. You’re a few slots away, you’re not invading their personal space. There’s no formal line or system. Why not, it saves everyone time? On the other hand, something about it seems wrong. There’s some ill-defined social convention that I’m breaking.
This will somehow end up on Curb Your Enthusiasm.
Meaty –
Depends on the social context of the situation. In a run of the mill $6 Chinese buffet lunch kind of thing, I say cut away. Formal Christmas dinner at a country club for example, you have to wait for salad-boy.
Here’s a related question for you, Muttrox. I’m in a buffet line, which starts out with the salad section, followed by the hot dishes. I’m not eating any salad, so do I need to wait for the person ahead of me to pile up his plate with salad, or can I leap ahead to the hot dishes — judging that I will be well out of his way when he is ready for hot grub?
I bet the people who can’t figure out the soda dispenser will end up being diagnosed with dementia within 5-10 years. Rather than getting annoyed, feel sorry for the future that awaits them. Maybe it would be a good screening test for internists to perform: at age 60, get a colonoscopy and see if you can get a 24 oz Dr. Pepper within 15 seconds. If not, referral to neurology.
I can’t believe anyone would give you a real hard time for filling your soda while they’re filling one, granted that you indeed are not in their personal space. I suspect the reason for the look has to do with the people mentioned in LilBro’s comment– most people are inconsiderate idiots, and would invade your personal space to fill their soda 20 seconds sooner. Anyone who gives you a look likely suspects that you’re such an idiot, until realizing that you’re not. Similarly, people will block the ice machine because it doesn’t occur to them that someone else might need it.
Finally, if I may raise an unrealted issue- what’s your take on the Shaq trade? I think it’s a worthwhile risk. I don’t think the Suns were going to win it all with their roster/style. Nash is getting old (though he doesn’t show it yet) and their window is within the next 2 years. It’s wholly dependent on whether Shaq has been underperforming because of health (in which case they’re in trouble) or motivation. What better motivation than getting a chance to beat Kobe in the playoffs?
The big puzzler for me is why people keep blocking the ice dispenser while they are filling from a soda nozzle. It’s just lazy not to take the extra couple steps that leaves the area clear for the next guy. If you’re done with the ice, get out of the way. Commit to your soda. I hate that.
totally agree with you. i do this all the time. who are these people? i fear for their children.