Hunglish.org

At the intercity bus station, love the line, hate the scrum to fight for a seat.

Hungarian don’t like to queue. They have a word for it (sor) but they don’t really get the concept of first in, first out.

This is particularly true at post offices, doctor’s offices and most especially intercity bus stations. Bus stations are the worst.

In the bus station, for example, there might appear to be a line forming around where the bus will stop. And there will be an orderly congregation of people until the bus arrives.

Once the bus arrives, bedlam ensues. Total chaos. When people are faced with possibility of not getting a seat for their bus ride, they become savage vicious creatures. Elbows mark territory as the angry mob crowds the bus driver who is looking for 173 forints and 12 fillers change (approximately).

Inside the bus, normal, genteel, Magyar civility resumes as it usually becomes clear there are plenty of seats.

In England, the social rules of queing are ironclad. It is said that if one Britishman stands behind another Britishman, that a third will line up to see what they are waiting for.

It is interesting to note that Englishmen, in contrasting social response, will line up for football matches in a completely civilized way, but then once inside, they behave like complete hooligans.