Cut it Out!

Cutting is a violation of the unspoken rule of waiting your own turn. Since we were little kids, we have always been taught, among other things, to say please and thank you, to not grab, and to wait in line. These principles are basic and fundamental to common courtesy. Just because you are hungry and want to save a few minutes in line does not mean you are justified in cutting.

In the name of fairness and toes that do not like to be stepped on, cutting in the lunch line needs to end. Yes, waiting in line is a drag. Especially when cutters can easily send you backwards in line, causing you to wait even longer. As more and more cutters cram to the front, people who attempt to follow the rules are forced to step back and make room. This can also be rather dangerous. Multiple hungry teenage girls with elbows at the ready attempting to fit through a single small doorway? Not a good idea. Students trying to buy their lunch get pushed around and elbowed, which could possibly lead to injury.

You would think that as young ladies about to embark upon the world, we would have the maturity and manners to wait in line. Remember that we are not in kindergarten. We do not have naptime (though in-class sleepers may disagree). We do not run to teachers when someone hurts our feelings. And we should not be so impatient as to ignore the common rule of courtesy that we wait our own turn. Acting like young children is not admirable, and neither is cutting.

To be fair, as a fellow Pres girl, I must admit that cutting can be tempting. Although waiting in line is the right thing to do, sometimes it may seem impractical when there is an important lunchtime meeting or because waiting in line just takes too long when cutters force you backwards. There is no other choice but to cut as well. However, the solution is not far from hand. And it is entirely do-able.

How? It’s simple. Teachers monitoring the lunch line. Yes, there is rarely a single teacher who enjoys lunch duty. Like Pres girls, teachers enjoy their food too, and do not want to be interrupted or burdened with the task of wandering the campus during lunch. However, teachers on lunch duty need to monitor the lunch line and keep cutters away. And not just any teachers, but effective ones.

When Mrs. Collins stands on her chair ordering everyone into a single-file line, discontented cutters groan. For once, they have to wait their turn just like everybody else. The horror! Though some may find the faculty police burdensome and inconvenient, admittedly, they work. With teachers effectively monitoring the lunch line, the line moves more efficiently with the elimination of cutters. It is fairer, safer and faster.

So remember to consider others before cutting. Trees do not like be cut, and neither do lines.