It official, I love a good line. Now don't get me wrong. I don't love standing in line. Actually, I really dislike that but I love standing in a good line. I never knew how much I appreciated a good well behaved, good mannered single file line until I moved to Bulgaria.  Then my most recent trip to Morocco confirmed this.

As a huge aside, it was also made clear to me that one acceptable time for a line not to function properly is if/when you're riding a camel on the beach in Morocco--it's way more fun that way. Don't worry there will be a whole post on my super-duper adventure riding camels on the beach! But now back to people-lines.

[caption id="attachment_2568" align="alignleft" width="500" caption="The one okay line (or train as the case may be)"]<a href="http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/img_3672.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-2568" title="Lines " src="http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/img_3672.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="333" /></a>[/caption]

I hate people who crowd, who bunch, who hover, who mob, who don't stand in line.  I believe in the line--in the order it promises, in taking turns. I despise cutting. I'd like to yell at these people: Wait your turn. But I don't.<!--more-->

Still, it's hard for me.  I'd really like to enforce the line but most of the time I am not in the position to do so. Instead, I stew. And I think about how much better it would be if either I could cut in front of everyone or I didn't care.  Mostly, I try for the second.  Generally, I think that the latter is better for me.  It teaches me patience. It reminds me that I am not in control of everything--even if I'd like to be.

I spent plenty of time in lines over the last week--the Sofia, Milan and Casablanca airports, passport control in all three countries, train stations, bus stations and restaurants waiting for tables.  All of this time has made me think about the fact that I am a line kind of girl.  I'd much rather wait my turn than hope that I can eventually elbow my way to the front of a mob-line.

So that's that. I love lines.  I'd rather not stand in line but when I have to I'd like it to be orderly, civilized.

It does make me wonder how it that some countries have citizens who are much better at standing in line than others.  Luckily I'll have a lot of time to think about this in Bulgaria--it doesn't tend to be a line friendly country.