Josh Freed making the most of a lineup at a well-known Montreal eatery *Schwarz’s Smoked Meat*. His new doucmentary *Taming of the Queue* looks at the sociology of line-ups.

Josh Freed making the most of a line-up at a well-known Montreal eatery *Schwarz’s Smoked Meat*. His new documentary *Taming of the Queue* looks at the sociology of line-ups around the world.
Photo Credit: Taming of the Queue

ARTS-Doc film: THE TAMING OF THE QUEUE” by Josh Freed

You line up at the cash register, line up for service, and for this and for that. You wait on the telephone after being put on hold, you wait in traffic jams, you wait and wait, and nobody, or almost nobody likes it. Right now around the world, millions of people are in queues of some kind, wasting millions of hours of time.

Experts say we spend anywhere from one to two years of our lives standing in line, or hold on the phone, or stuck in traffic.

A new documentary looks at the psychology and physical aspects of line-ups in various countries.

Award-winning filmmaker Josh Freed directed, wrote and is the protagonist in his newest documentary. “The Taming of the Queue”.

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Award-winning Montreal-based filmmaker, auther and columnist Josh Freed
Award-winning Montreal-based filmmaker, auther and columnist Josh Freed © supplied

Josh Freed is no fan of line-ups.

It was in a line-up seven years ago the idea to take a look at the phenomenon first came to him.

I don’t like line-ups either. And it seems whatever line-up I’m in, the other one moves faster.

I’m not alone in thinking that, according to people who study such things as shown in the documentary.

In the film Freed studies line-ups or queue’s from several angles, the scientific, personal observation and participation, and on an international level.

Britons it seems are entirely the most patient, even to some extent enjoying it in certain cases. North Americans tolerate them, although some will camp out for days in line-ups for certain events.

No matter which line you’re in at the cash registers, your line always seems the slowest. Freed’s film shows how marketers and others study *line-ups*
No matter which line you’re in at the cash registers, your line always seems the slowest. Freed’s film shows how marketers and others study *line-ups* © Taming of the Queue

In some parts of the world, line-ups are unheard of, almost inevitably with chaotic results.

Britons are famous for their *civilized* queues. A famous image in London England even shows looters lining up for their turn to loot an electronics store in 2011.
Britons are famous for their *civilized* queues. A famous image in London England even shows looters lining up for their turn to loot an electronics store in 2011. © Taming of the Queue

In some other places like India where trying to board a train is a unique experience in itself, physical force might be needed to get where you want to go.

No queue’s here. Freed tried to board a train in Mumbai a couple of times but the North American was just to gentle and was tossed back each time. he never made it.
No queue’s here. Freed tried to board a train in Mumbai a couple of times but the North American was just to gentle and was tossed back each time. he never made it. © Taming of the Queue

And what about queue-jumping, Freed tried it, although it went against his Canadian upbringing. The varying results are interesting, including the fact there’s no flim of the attempt to do so in the U.S.

Freed tests *cutting in* in various countries and got very different reactions.
Freed tests *cutting in* in various countries and got very different reactions. © Taming of the Queue

The film will be shown across Canada on the evening of June 28th on the CBC Documentary Channel, but will be distributed internationally shortly thereafter

The title in French is “Adieu a la queue-leu-leu”

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Categories: Arts & Entertainment, International, Society
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