At one point or another, we’ve all done it. You’ve been a the store waiting to checkout, or you’ve been at the airport waiting to get through security, or you’ve been in rushhour traffic waiting to get home. And in a moment of borne of waiting-induced frustration, you change lines hoping to move along a little faster.
At this point, our fates likely differ…. Sometimes when you changes lines, your calculated gamble pays off and you get through a bit more quickly.
But not me.
Without fail, the line that I choose will prove to be painfully slow.
I was in San Antonio the other day. There were two security lines at the airport. I took a moment to assess the speed of each line, and it looked like line A was moving faster. But knowing that I always choose poorly, I tried to outsmart my luck, and I chose line B. As I stoood there watching line A move by at double the speed, I couldn’t help think back to The Princess Bride and the poisoned cup. Whether I choose the line that’s infront of you, or the line that’s infront of me, I’m not going to enjoy the drink.
And lest you should think that you’ve got worse line luck than I do, the next time you think you’ve chosen poorly yet again, turn around and look at the end of the line.
You’ll see me standing behind you.