Beer Event Etiquette ...

This is why I like the ticket method. Perennial gives out one ticket for each beer they plan to sell at an event. If you have a ticket you are getting a beer for that ticket. It really lightens the mood. No one is concerned about cutting in line, you can take your time and get a few drafts while the line dies down. It's a really good system.

 

If I had a buddy that showed up a little later than me I would either wait for them and get in line together or move back to their spot in line. If it's just a run of the mill beer event I don't think I would be too upset if one person joined a friend in front of me, but I do think the right thing to do is to join up with whoever is further back. If we were talking about a rare release then perhaps I wouldn't be so willing to move back or so accepting of cutters.

 

Cutting lines is wrong , plain and simply. You want to hang with your friends then get in line at the same time they do . Would love to be at one of the events when someone like the O.P. walks up and joins his friends , at that point I'd invite the entire line to come up and join me , hell we've been standing in line as a group for a while so we must all be friends right ??

 

I think it's interesting that so many people are debating whether getting a job through connections is a similar concept to said line-cutting. It seems to me that we accept "networking" as a form of being "good at business," when in some ways you're right, it's no different than hopping in line with a friend. A friend of yours has a job opening at his company. You might not be as qualified as some of the other applicants (read as: people who got in line before you), but your friend vouches for you, and you get interviewed with prejudice (the company likes your friend and is thus more likely to like you).

I get that the above practice is the way business works, but that doesn't mean it's any more or less "fair" than jumping in line with a friend; in both cases people that are more deserving of the position (in the company and the line) are getting bypassed because another person happens to have a contact. While I don't jump in line myself, I can see both sides of this argument, especially given the networking analogy.

Also, Akerstache, excellent avatar. I'm currently replaying Mass Effect 3, just finished the portion featuring the Geth-Quarian war.

 

I also like this sort of method, for 2 reasons:

1) If I got my ticket, I can jump out of line and come back later without worrying. It's nice for when you have to go to the bathroom, grab food, say hey to someone, or whatever.

2) If a friend sees me in line, they can jump in without any worry of anyone getting angry, because everyone knows that friend isn't getting any beer if they don't have a ticket.

 

In this topic, BA's indicate how British their sensibilities are.

Seriously though, if it's not a rare release and it's just beer that everyone will get eventually, I generally don't mind. In my ind there's a pretty big difference between a rare/limited release and a generally brewery opening. That being said, line cutting is typically not something that I would I do.

 

I hate lines and crowds.

 

I would view it in the same lens as just being at a bar in general. If you are waiting in line for the bartender, same thing right? You wait your turn, just like everybody else. I'm sure anyone that got cut and then told "chill boss, you'll get your drink soon" would not be happy.

Like most things, there are no real rules here. Just good manners, and not. Seems pretty simple.

 

also the networking comparisons are so bad.

 

With regards to respect, it would be far more respectful to everyone else if front of line friend joined back of line friend instead. After all, can't he wait 30 more seconds to get alcohol in his mouth instead of making everyone else wait said 30 seconds?

 

It annoys me that so much of this thread has been spent debating the similarities between job networking and line cutting, because in my book they are absolutely nothing alike. It is not my intent to be rude, but it is one of the worst analogies I've ever read.

First off, networking is not nepotism. They are not the same thing. Nepotism (which does happen in the professional world) is the practice of hiring someone without any sort of evaluation/interview because that person is your relative (or if we want to expand the definition a bit, a friend or relative of a friend). Nepotism involves hiring with no regard for qualifications. And usually, it works to the detriment of the organization doing the hiring. Networking, on the other hand, is getting an *opportunity* to be evaluated for a position based on who you know. And many times, the "who" is someone that you know because you performed well at another job and created a reputation for yourself. In other words, even your networked connections are based on some requisite skill being demonstrated in the past.

I know the topic has apparently been "discussed and closed" according to the person who raised it, but it seems there is still a debate going on about it. One is selfish behavior that serves no benefit whatsoever that requires that you know someone. The other requires that you know someone *and* that you be able to show that you bring a benefit to the table. That there is a mutually beneficial relationship in store.

As to the question at hand, like so many things in our culture (bottle limits, truck chasing, hoarding, etc), the answer is as simple as determining who all benefits from the action--me vs. anyone else. The higher the ratio of benefit to me, the less likely that it's something you should do. Line cutting not only falls pretty high on that scale (benefits me and no one else), but it also actively harms other people.

Of course it's tempting to fall into the trap of using relative scale to rationalize the behavior. I mean, only one person cutting isn't a big deal, right? Sure, one person cutting in line is orders of magnitude better than 10 people cutting in line, but the fact that it's not as bad as a worse version of the behavior doesn't make it okay. It just makes it less unacceptable. But it's still unacceptable on some level. That rationalization is akin to saying it's no big deal to steal a candy bar because the cost of the candy bar is insignificant.

I guess I'm not understanding why people would be waiting in line when there is "plenty of beer" and that "everyone is getting some". Surely the line forms for a reason, no?

 

What right does the person have to cut people? Do they think they're better than everyone, or that their time is worth more than everyone else's time? Someone has to be fairly egocentric to cut people. Maybe not knowingly narcissistic, but totally ignorant of the fact their actions can affect others.

 

While I agree that the analogy isn't 100% the same, it's also not quite as different as you're making it seem. There are plenty of examples all over the working world in which nepotism and networking overlap; you get an opportunity for a job that you otherwise wouldn't have had because you know someone, and in a decent amount of cases, even if you're not the most qualified for a job, you'll get the nod as long as you are qualified. I get that you're saying that the person jumping in line isn't at all "qualified" to have that spot in line, and I agree, but I think the "foot in the door" aspect is good enough to make that comparison.


With all that being said, I think you made a great point in that there's a sliding scale of what's acceptable and what isn't to a lot of people. I'm usually of the mind where I'm okay if it's 1 person but not 5, but you're right that there's no difference in principle. It's actually probably worse to look at it that way, because if I'm okay with one guy cutting me because I'll still get my beer, I'm essentially screwing one guy farther back in line that might not.

It makes the most sense to just say that cutting isn't okay, full stop, because that's the simplest and fairest way to do this.

 

If it's not a big deal to join someone in line why doesn't the person further up go to the back of the line to join his friend? This could be eliminated by a # system whenever you show up so if you are cutting in line to be 5th but your # says 400 you have to wait until 399 gets their beer. That way you got to hang out with your friend which is really THE ONLY REASON you cut line to begin with, right?

 

Why would you even ask this? We're you raised by wolves?

 

Wonder how many of the same folks who expect understanding when they just cut into line to join friends at beer events are the same ones who curse and honk at drivers trying to skirt lines of cars on the road and cut into the line instead of waiting at the end?

 

Also, Beer farts belong OUTSIDE or in the BATHROOM!

STOP CROPDUSTING EVENTS!!!!!!

 

or, dude that gets there first waits until his butty shows up to get in line, since it seems like people can't wait in line without some kind of companionship.

 

The line is there for a reason...

 

Again, not an analogy.

Never said that it was. In fact, I never used the word "networking" at all.

Also not what I said. What I said was that I already responded to a point that was being quoted several times based on a premise that - if accepted as such - I have no arguments against, i.e. there was nothing for me to further contribute because what am I gonna add to it when I agree with said premise in mind?

Certainly true on some level. And research certainly suggests that there can be creeping effect and having adequate safeguards in place is the best defense against these practices. But what do we take away from that? Shame someone into the ground for it? Go oldschool Greek and implement ways of ostracizing people?