Why Does Queue Jumping Make People So Angry?

By Ali Shahi | August 12, 2026
A long line of people standing one behind another, shown in full silhouette against a bright cloudy sky, framed by dark bands above and below.

An emergency department had a stated priority rule for who gets seen next. Patients were still overtaken in more than 1 in 4 ED visits, and the records show no reason why (JAMA Network Open, 2023). The same skip, done by a stranger in front of you at a counter, gets a different name entirely.…

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