Queueing

Written after our trip to Legoland.

I understand queueing. I am British, after all! I get the idea that one waits, until it is ones turn.

I understand supermarket queueing. I like the challenge of looking for the shortest (time not distance) queue. I appreciate the Post Office style 'Cashier Number 5 please', mainly because although it is a longer queue it keeps moving along steadily

I don't like it when people push in. I can cope with people returning to a queue after a small child needs the toilet (been there!), and just about with a person catching up with the rest of their group (although part of me thinks that the rest of the group should let people through until the left behind member catches up naturally).

What I don't understand are theme park Q-bots.

Q-bots are virtual q-ers. They allow you (at an extra cost) to be in a virtual queue, and turn up when at the front, to get on the ride. I should point out that this idea is not exclusive to Legoland. Most theme parks, I believe have something similar. There is now also a Q bot express, for even less queueing!

There are 2 issues here.

1. I don't think it's fair that just because someone has more money they shouldn't have to queue. I've payed plenty for my ticket! (actually I haven't, I've used tesco clubcard vouchers, but in principle). They also board the ride first, meaning they get the best seats, every time, whether you like the front of the roller coaster, or the back, or the seat by the giraffe on the train. That's not fair either.

2. The signs everywhere state that this system doesn't make queueing time longer for anyone.

It's this 2nd statement with which I take exception, from a mathematical point of view. It certainly feels longer.

Case study 1

I'm in a queue for a little roller coaster. The roller coaster seats 12, and there are 6 people in front of us. I feel I should get on, but 6 people roll up the qbot line, so I don't. That feels like a longer queue. (and multiply that for every time the queue should move forward 12 spaces but only does 6).

Their argument is that I haven't waited any longer, as those people would gave been in front of me in the queue - they were there virtually, so I would have had to wait that long, I just didn't see the people.

Case study 2.

We've split up, I'm with 2 of the kids queueing for ride A. Mrs S is with 3rd daughter queueing for ride B. In front of me is a virtual family (but I don't know it). They would queue for ride A, but are richer than me, so don't really have to. How do their real selves spend the extra free time? By queueing for ride B, meaning the rest of my family are also queueing longer because of the same people.

That's the flaw in the argument as I see it, that 1 person can be in two queues at the same time and that must make total queue time on the park longer. It also makes the shows / shops etc busier

Either their argument is flawed, or mine is. Which?


Disney, btw and IMHO have a much fairer system, just for the record, as everyone can fasttrack 1 ride at a time, and there is no paying extra involved.