# The people waiting in the flesh have priority **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 13, 2014, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-people-waiting-in-the-flesh-have-priority/701229 "2014-10-13T19:00:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Mr.Nylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/77aa72/32.png) [@Mr.Nylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Nylock)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2014, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-people-waiting-in-the-flesh-have-priority/701229/21 "2014-10-14T06:32:41Z")
Every time I skim the threads this one always looks like its saying, “The people waiting for flesh have priority” It’s freaking me out. Damn you Shakespeare. ---
**Author:** ![Locrian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/locrian/32/14146_2.png) [@Locrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Locrian)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2014, 9:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-people-waiting-in-the-flesh-have-priority/701229/22 "2014-10-14T09:19:25Z")
> [@GrumpyBunny](#): > > I agree with the OP. > > Restaurants are more tricky and I wouldn’t want to have to juggle that. But FWIW, it would be nice if callers-in to restaurants a) paid with credit card and just picked up their order, or b) had a special register to go to, so the flow of the in-line customers isn’t affected. Agreed. But one thing I notice in restaurants that have curb-side pickup and a separate register for take out USUALLY means a server or host / hostess has to jump on that duty-- leaving us fleshy and present people waiting!! Your first idea should be mandatory. Someone in the kitchen packs the food, it’s already paid for on credit card, just hand it to them and let the others take care of their positions. > [@TheChileanBlob](#): > > I’m with you. Fuck those guys, and also fuck the assholes that buy lottery tickets. They need a separate line for those motherfuckers, I just wanna pay for my gas. THIS kind of shit kills me. Half of the lottery buyers never know what box to check or what game they’re playing, let alone how much it costs. The scratcher peeps bring in tickets that are basically destroyed claiming they’ve got a $5 winner. They don’t. WHY?? Oh, because they think they’ve got a flush when all they have is a high-card of 6 hearts, or something along those lines. And most NEVER scratch of all the silver scratcher shmutz before turning in the ticket, leaving our poor 7-11 guy grabbing a penny from the dish and doing it for them. UGH! ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2014, 9:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-people-waiting-in-the-flesh-have-priority/701229/23 "2014-10-14T09:38:03Z")
So basically, the OP is pissed because other people have better time management skills? Look, if you’re content spending 20mins of your lunch break waiting in line, more power to ya. But don’t get pissy with others that have better things to do with their lunch hour. I order online at Subway. Since I pay for it online, it takes me all of five seconds to walk in the store, have them hand me my bag and walk out. Meanwhile, there’s a line of about 15 waiting to get their sandwiches made. Suckers! ---
**Author:** ![leftfield6](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leftfield6/32/18780_2.png) [@leftfield6](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leftfield6)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2014, 11:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-people-waiting-in-the-flesh-have-priority/701229/24 "2014-10-14T11:03:44Z")
> [@TheChileanBlob](#): > > I’m with you. Fuck those guys, and also fuck the assholes that buy lottery tickets. They need a separate line for those motherfuckers, I just wanna pay for my gas. Why are you buying gas and lottery tickets at Chipotle? Maybe you, sir, are the problem. Sorry, I’ll just sit over here… ---
**Author:** ![leftfield6](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leftfield6/32/18780_2.png) [@leftfield6](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leftfield6)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2014, 11:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-people-waiting-in-the-flesh-have-priority/701229/25 "2014-10-14T11:12:21Z")
> [@Shakes](#): > > So basically, the OP is pissed because other people have better time management skills? > > Look, if you’re content spending 20mins of your lunch break waiting in line, more power to ya. But don’t get pissy with others that have better things to do with their lunch hour. > I order online at Subway. Since I pay for it online, it takes me all of five seconds to walk in the store, have them hand me my bag and walk out. Meanwhile, there’s a line of about 15 waiting to get their sandwiches made. > > Suckers! Yeah, see, this I don’t have a problem with at all. You are using the tools available to you in a way that inconveniences no one waiting in line. Yeah you! Now the dude who calls Subway, and gets Mary (my favorite Subway worker. Seriously, she works in the one a block from my office, she’s very nice, and really kinda cute) on the phone, and then proceeds to ask about the nutritional content of the Triple Decker Bacon/Angus beef/Triple Cheese monthly special. Yeah, fuck that motherfucker. Mary stopped making my Ham and Swiss to answer the phone, cause you know PHONE RANG-- IT MUST BE ANSWERED, now she’s on the phone tryig to explain to Harry Blowhard that if it’s got bacon and beef on it, pretty sure that is why the fat content seems a little high. Meanwhile my Ham and Swiss sits there, just needing pickles and a little honey mustard to be complete, but I can’t reach over the glass and do it myself. Arms are too short. Shit. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2014, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-people-waiting-in-the-flesh-have-priority/701229/26 "2014-10-14T11:50:24Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > I agree with **Simplicio** – why would I want ten people to come down to the store to stand in line in front of me? Or the one person with a fistful of Post-it Notes, struggling to decipher and relay the scribbled special requests from everyone in their goddamned office. And the ones who want to pay separately for each order, so every asshole co-worker gets exact change? Summary execution. No exceptions. ---
**Author:** ![Filbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/filbert/32/3433_2.png) [@Filbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Filbert)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2014, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-people-waiting-in-the-flesh-have-priority/701229/27 "2014-10-14T12:07:56Z")
You know, I’d rather not listen to a phone ringing while I queue to get to the till. Go ahead and answer it, I’ll wait. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2014, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-people-waiting-in-the-flesh-have-priority/701229/28 "2014-10-14T12:41:42Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > And what does that have to do with the price of bread in China? Tea. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Panda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee7513/32.png) [@Darth\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Panda)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2014, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-people-waiting-in-the-flesh-have-priority/701229/29 "2014-10-14T12:57:59Z")
Bread with respect to T? ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2014, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-people-waiting-in-the-flesh-have-priority/701229/30 "2014-10-14T13:01:34Z")
> [@Darth\_Panda](#): > > Bread with respect to T? [Price of tea in China, Wikipédia.](http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/What's_that_got_to_do_with_the...%3F) ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2014, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-people-waiting-in-the-flesh-have-priority/701229/31 "2014-10-14T13:30:42Z")
> [@Shakes](#): > > I order online at Subway. Since I pay for it online, it takes me all of five seconds to walk in the store, have them hand me my bag and walk out. Meanwhile, there’s a line of about 15 waiting to get their sandwiches made. > > Suckers! I see nothing wrong with that. I do see something wrong with the restaurant I went to on Sunday that has you take your bill to a front register to pay and I had to wait 15 minutes while the lone register person took 3 phone orders. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2014, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-people-waiting-in-the-flesh-have-priority/701229/32 "2014-10-14T14:46:54Z")
You would think that modern technology would have developed better ways to synchronize queueing between on-site and remote customers. Why can’t callers during busy periods just get a recorded message that says _“Thank you for calling Bob’s Diner, there are currently [N] customers waiting in front of you, we will be happy to take your order when your call gets to the front of the line, so please hold.”_? The value of N would include both people waiting on-site and other calls on hold. When an order is taken or aborted (i.e., if an on-site customer walks away or a caller gets tired of waiting and hangs up), the recorded message could update: _“There are now [N-1] customers waiting in front of you. Please continue to hold.”_ Yeah, phone customers wouldn’t like waiting, but neither do on-site customers, so it seems only fair to have everybody wait their turn till the people who got there before them are taken care of. And it’s not like we don’t have the technology to manage that. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2014, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-people-waiting-in-the-flesh-have-priority/701229/33 "2014-10-14T15:16:41Z")
> [@Kimstu](#): > > You would think that modern technology would have developed better ways to synchronize queueing between on-site and remote customers. One would think so. My favorite Mexican restaurant is a “order at the counter, we bring you the food” type place. No matter what the line, the cashier will answer the phone for call-in orders whenever the phone rings. Now, I’ve never had the nerve to use my cell phone to call in an order while standing in line, but I have done this: 1. Walk up to restaurant. 2. Peek inside to see how long the line is. 3. If line is long, call in my order from outside 4. Go stand in line and my order is ready by the time I pay for it. ---
**Author:** ![Cubsfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Cubsfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cubsfan)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2014, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-people-waiting-in-the-flesh-have-priority/701229/34 "2014-10-14T15:27:26Z")
> [@Declan](#): > > Do what I do, ask for a second cash to be opened. Most gas stations that I have seen, usually have more than one till, so its not too hard for the cashier to open the second atm POS. But its the above room volume, but not yelling voice that you want the lottery dick to hear. Most of them will get embarrassed enough to finish their order early and get out of the way. > > Declan This would be incredibly bizarre to hear. You mean you just tell the dude behind the counter to open up a new register because a guy is buying lotto tickets? I remember standing in line behind a guy at the register who bought 10 instant scratch tickets. That prick stood there and quickly scratched them all right there because he “didn’t want to come back to trade them in if he had a winner”. He won 2 free tickets, cashed them in and scratched those last two, all in front of the other customers. It was so rude. My dad is such an asshole. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2014, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-people-waiting-in-the-flesh-have-priority/701229/35 "2014-10-14T15:33:37Z")
> [@Trinopus](#): > > (As they used to say in the old Soviet Union, “The time spent waiting will be divided equally among the peasants.”) “When Communism is perfected, everyone will have what they need.” But, father, what if there is a line at Chipolte? “That is how you will know that you do not need Chipolte today.” ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2014, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-people-waiting-in-the-flesh-have-priority/701229/36 "2014-10-14T15:48:02Z")
> [@Mr.Nylock](#): > > Every time I skim the threads this one always looks like its saying, “The people waiting for flesh have priority” It’s freaking me out. Damn you Shakespeare. I keep trying to come up with a clever Pink Floyd reference. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2014, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-people-waiting-in-the-flesh-have-priority/701229/37 "2014-10-14T15:53:16Z")
> [@Mr.Nylock](#): > > Every time I skim the threads this one always looks like its saying, “The people waiting for flesh have priority” It’s freaking me out. Damn you Shakespeare. > [@asterion](#): > > I keep trying to come up with a clever Pink Floyd reference. Terminus is a bit more timely. (_The Walking Dead_.) ---
**Author:** ![baileygrrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19b73/32.png) [@baileygrrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/baileygrrrl)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2014, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-people-waiting-in-the-flesh-have-priority/701229/38 "2014-10-14T16:11:48Z")
We had a similar problem at a bakery I worked at ages ago. There would be a lineup of people in the flesh waiting for their turn and someone would call on the phone and ask if there were any lemon meringue pies left. Employee would go check and grab the last pie. Someone in line would become livid because they had been waiting for the pie. In the flesh. ---
**Author:** ![No\_umlaut\_for\_U](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ea5d25/32.png) [@No\_umlaut\_for\_U](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/No_umlaut_for_U)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2014, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-people-waiting-in-the-flesh-have-priority/701229/39 "2014-10-14T16:14:12Z")
Many places have fax ordering. I worked in a place (not restaurant) where people could email in orders or submit them via a form. So, why in the hell are people using their smart phones to talk to somebody to order? The person in front of you is the service priority. Always. Calls should go to hold, or roll to VM. If your business has a significant amount of phone-in orders, get someone in back to take the orders. There’s always someone in a larger restaurant who should have called in sick, but didn’t. And never ever answer your personal fucking phone at work in front of a customer. Don’t even check the fuckin’ caller ID! ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2014, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-people-waiting-in-the-flesh-have-priority/701229/40 "2014-10-14T16:21:32Z")
What pisses me off is when I walk into the dunkin donuts and there is no one at the drive thru when I get up, but suddenly, someone pulls up, and \*that[/] person gets priority. WHY? I was here first! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-people-waiting-in-the-flesh-have-priority/701229.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-people-waiting-in-the-flesh-have-priority/701229.md?page=3)