Bitte_Kein_Lexus wrote:Most bakeries are like that. Which 3A is it? Isn't it a chain? But yeah, bakeries tend to be a free for all. People walking up and telling the clerks what they want before they even reach the counter, despite other customers already being there.

West from Psar Kandal, St just before 136 (can't think of the number) if you are heading north.

rick_o'shea wrote:Why should he queue in a Cambodian shop in Cambodia? Because there's a barang at the counter?

Because it is fucking pig ignorant not too. Are you <edited> or something?

Nothing hard about saying donut be, or baguette be. I must have done it there at least 50 bloody times already over the last 3.5 years...

Hah! Yeah I know that place. I've been going there on and off for several years as well and it's always been a free-for-all. Sometimes I don't mind it, sometimes I'll tell them to serve someone else first (the 5% of the time they look at me first). But when I'm in a shitty mood, I'll tell the person to wait their turn. Can't really blame the staff, it's more of a customer problem I'd say. The counter is small and people show up like they own the place.

Bitte_Kein_Lexus wrote:Can't really blame the staff, it's more of a customer problem I'd say. The counter is small and people show up like they own the place.

This. You can't expect timid little village girl counter staff to tell customers to butt out, you have to make yourself heard if you feel slighted. If I'm in the mood, I firmly but politely tell them so, in Khmer. If not, I shrug it off and let the queue jumper feel mighty. It won't spoil my day.

Mrs Stroppy bought a loaf of bread at Tous les Jours (or whatever spelling) at Sovanna a couple of days ago, parted with dollar at the counter, and local bitch got the elbow in and suspended the transaction - no bread, no change, no care. Said LB enjoyed the power trip and extended the conversation unnecessarily, all the while using her body to back Mrs Stroppy away from the counter.

I stepped in, crowded the LB's space, and asked the cashier to finish the transaction. She gave that annoying smug smile, passed Mrs Stroppy some small notes, and left her to reach over the counter for the bread while she went back to her far more important customer. We promptly and loudly told the cashier and the customer that they were "acroc nah", at which point the manageress smirked an apology, so we repeated ourselves until they had the collective decency to blush.

We went back the next day to make a stand, the cashier was working the floor instead of the register, and lesson seemed to be learned. Possibly a good thing, as the next step was to make a scene until they gave us the franchise owner's number. Fairly confident the owner wouldn't have done much, but making a scene would have been satisfying - all that loss of face.

rick o'shea wrote:The thing is, khmers don't mind it. They see an opportunity, and they take it. And, if you are khmer and on the receiving end, you snooze, you lose, but you don't make a scene.

If the store are ok with queue jumpers, it's maybe best to just roll up your sleeves, stick your elbows out and muscle into a space like everyone else. Angkor Mart get it. And I'm certain they have a loyal customer base partly because of forcing khmers to queue. However, in other stores, it's not the way, and I think we kind of look a bit dickish being the only barang in the shop and trying to force the locals to queue up like it was a 1950s London bus stop.

My beef is when I'm being served and the salesperson gets interrupted, and obliges the interrupter, leaving me feeling like a swinging dick.

If someone jumps in front of me I always just tell them now and force my way back in front. How else are these country bumpkins going to learn? I don't care if they queue up or stand around lazily, but don't cut me..............unless you are RCAF in a Range Rover.

Sir_Quality_U_Feel wrote:

rick o'shea wrote:The thing is, khmers don't mind it. They see an opportunity, and they take it. And, if you are khmer and on the receiving end, you snooze, you lose, but you don't make a scene.

If the store are ok with queue jumpers, it's maybe best to just roll up your sleeves, stick your elbows out and muscle into a space like everyone else. Angkor Mart get it. And I'm certain they have a loyal customer base partly because of forcing khmers to queue. However, in other stores, it's not the way, and I think we kind of look a bit dickish being the only barang in the shop and trying to force the locals to queue up like it was a 1950s London bus stop.

My beef is when I'm being served and the salesperson gets interrupted, and obliges the interrupter, leaving me feeling like a swinging dick.

If someone jumps in front of me I always just tell them now and force my way back in front. How else are these country bumpkins going to learn? I don't care if they queue up or stand around lazily, but don't cut me..............unless you are RCAF in a Range Rover.

Wow I had no recollection of previously commenting in this thread (other than my post about the bakery above) until SQUF quoted the text above and it sounded kinda familiar. Scary! I even used the same 1950s bus stop reference in both posts. I'm not this spaced and repetitive in real life I assure you.....

I was being served in the chemist the other day and this young lady came in wanting to buy 2 tubes of whitening cream. Pushed in front of me and started waving her money around. The chemist completed our transaction but I had to lean round in front of her to take my goods and hand over the money. I did take quiet delight in that, she was not happy.

I have really noticed over the last week the number of Khmer ladies really looking down their nose at us. And it's not subtle! We had dinner outside at Psar TTP the other night. The only free seats were at our table. The man was lovely, but she literally put a tissue to her nose as though we white people stank!

I have given up trying to educate the people serving me that start serving someone else that pushes in and leave me standing there half way through a transaction. Often I just walk away unless I'm waiting for change. In the past I would tell them they may have two eyes and two ears but they only have one mouth and one brain and they should only serve one customer at a time until they get two brains.

Personally can't stand the pushing in lark, but have had a bloody nightmare TWICE this past month with it.

Both times, I have snapped, Jesus, Mary and Joseph, Buddha and FFS! Have all made appearances at the checkout, only for me to be told that the person was already checking stuff and had just popped back for some Jack fruit chips or some crap they had forgotten.

I don't know if we can or do lose face as far as Khmers are concerned, but I was bloody embarrassed and started ranting about any crapola I could think of to try and make myself look less of a phallus.

So, after years of this, I vow to never shop or go anywhere where there might be people. I have had a fourth bathroom fitted in my one bed apartment(Got two kids and a missus), it has razor wire on the floor and pictures of ghosts everywhere.

Finally, a place to call my own!

Outside of Phnom Penh, and the few other places with a large foreign presence, queues are unheard of. If you ever visit the market in Takeo Town you could well end up gathering moss if you stand politely waiting to be served.