Cafeteria Lines

This is how the cafeteria at work is set up to look like. The lines are implemented through ropes to guide payers.

But often this is the reality. One lonely cashier and two lines.

Unfortunately, our brave cashier quickly gets swarmed with patrons.

Usually not long after hitting critical mass, cashier one enters the stage to help. The single line now serves two cashiers, while the other line remains empty. This setup is less-than-efficient as now, a.) the person in the front of the line sometimes must gage which cashier to go to and b.) there is more time being spent walking to the cashier than there would be otherwise.

This also creates some awkwardness - to switch and essentially butt in front of everyone, or to stay and remain "fair"? Usually I've seen that people who were already in line 2 tend to stay there, perhaps out of respect to the patrons they've spent the past few minutes standing in line with.

But then! Enter a new person altogether, with no context whatsoever. They see two lines, one full of suckers, the other completely empty.

And so our brave new person treads forward, annoyed looks from line 1 patrons notwithstanding.

And as more patrons come in, the balance is thus naturally restored.

This behavior pattern is something I see a few times a week in the cafeteria. Its consistency never ceases to amaze me. Women, men, managers, interns, tall, short, young, old - regardless of what demographic or group, almost everybody follows the pattern described. If you already were in line, you don't switch. But if you're not, you usually carpe that line diem and step right up.

Humans are funny creatures.