Yesterday's Pakistan Print Edition of International Herald Tribune contains Why waiting is torture, by Alex Stone.
A very good piece which discusses our psychology of waiting in line and how we respond to various waiting situations.
Alex Stone writes: "Americans spend roughly 37 billion hours each year waiting in line."
I wonder, how much time Pakistanis spend waiting in lines here and there, both at private and public establishments! I do not know about any such study for Pakistan. Actually, it's no "issue" at all here. No guessing - how much time Pakistanis spend in waiting. But no doubt their life is full of suffering related with waiting.
And apart from this, what is important to see in the case of Pakistan is that often and time there are fights on breaking the queues. The queuing culture has no roots here.
Surprisingly, the multinational food chains which have already landed in Pakistan do not bother with this; whereas I read somewhere that McDonald's open new counters when just 3 or 4 customers are seen standing in queues. In Pakistan, usually they keep closed the already opened counters.
Here the psychology is different: keep the long queues standing, and that proves your business is flourishing. Also, saddist strains run deep. They would make dozens of people remain standing in scorching heat outside, and keep themselves busy in drinking tea and chatting with their fellows or guests inside.
One thing is conspicuously noticeable here, and it is which Stone also points out to: "Perhaps the biggest influence on our feelings about lines, though, has to do with our perception of fairness."
That perception is dominantly present here; however, as opposed to it, there is another common practice which uses reference, contacts, influence, bribes, forcefulness, to make its way through the waiting lines.
Having said that, I would like to add: here the issue is that long waiting hours may be reduced considerably, but for the lack of will; rather 'let these "bastards" waste their life waiting in lines' is the best choice practiced in Pakistan!
A very good piece which discusses our psychology of waiting in line and how we respond to various waiting situations.
Alex Stone writes: "Americans spend roughly 37 billion hours each year waiting in line."
I wonder, how much time Pakistanis spend waiting in lines here and there, both at private and public establishments! I do not know about any such study for Pakistan. Actually, it's no "issue" at all here. No guessing - how much time Pakistanis spend in waiting. But no doubt their life is full of suffering related with waiting.
And apart from this, what is important to see in the case of Pakistan is that often and time there are fights on breaking the queues. The queuing culture has no roots here.
Surprisingly, the multinational food chains which have already landed in Pakistan do not bother with this; whereas I read somewhere that McDonald's open new counters when just 3 or 4 customers are seen standing in queues. In Pakistan, usually they keep closed the already opened counters.
Here the psychology is different: keep the long queues standing, and that proves your business is flourishing. Also, saddist strains run deep. They would make dozens of people remain standing in scorching heat outside, and keep themselves busy in drinking tea and chatting with their fellows or guests inside.
One thing is conspicuously noticeable here, and it is which Stone also points out to: "Perhaps the biggest influence on our feelings about lines, though, has to do with our perception of fairness."
That perception is dominantly present here; however, as opposed to it, there is another common practice which uses reference, contacts, influence, bribes, forcefulness, to make its way through the waiting lines.
Having said that, I would like to add: here the issue is that long waiting hours may be reduced considerably, but for the lack of will; rather 'let these "bastards" waste their life waiting in lines' is the best choice practiced in Pakistan!
This making "these bastards" wait in lines, or even as a lump of beggars, for longer than reasonable is a true depiction of our "elitist" mindset.
ReplyDelete"I am the Law, and the Law is me.
My superior is my God, and all my obedience and goodness it is for him. My god has many other Gods above him. I can only live in a god-made Republic, and my gods tell me for sure that this Republic shall remain for ever and ever, and perhaps hereafter."