2024-02-02 10:01:48
The motorist who considers it unnecessary to turn on his indicator on a roundabout. This friend whose passion is to spoil the best series. Your head-smacking sister who apologizes for not tidying up when nothing sticks out of her living room. The initial idea is simple: take an interest in these “naughty” little gestures that tickle us every day. To this “feeling of omnipotence which makes us say ‘if I don’t do it, the other will do it, so I might as well do it'”, as described by psychologist Robert Zuili, author of The Power of Links (ed. Mango, September 2023).
These little annoying things, they are legion. And above all, above all, they concern us all. Because ultimately, “we are all someone’s pest.” Especially when ordering from takeaway restaurants.
The annoying fact
Usually, you don’t care about good resolutions. But this year, it’s decided, you are going to do what it takes to try to eliminate the 2-3 kilos accumulated by the last months of repeated visits to the neighborhood kebabs. Your new address will be the salad bar. It’s a little further from work, you’ll have to hurry, but too bad. Salads are good for your figure, and walking longer is part of the process.
After two days of testing with colleagues, you feel at ease among the vegetosaur team. You feel like you’ve already done your body good and even manage to forget that feeling of hunger that returns less than two hours after paying that tidy bill of almost 20 euros.
Except that this lunchtime, after waiting 8 minutes in the line full of customers, two customers on the prowl are stuck in front of the waiter with a mountain of questions on their lips. “Exactly how many ingredients are we allowed? The base has to be vegetables? What sauce do you have? Is soy protein extra? Is the drink included in the price or not? ” Help !
Why is this so annoying?
Because your time is limited! And wasting 1min30 listening to the questions of newbies without complexes is already too much for your fulfilling active life! Above all, these idiots have no reason to procrastinate since the restaurant’s instructions are displayed BIG above the counter! We wait, we see how it works, and we order fissa. It’s worked like this for a thousand years, whether in a salad bar, at a seller of wraps, pitas, poke bowls, or even at this famous sandwich shop with a name evoking the New York subway.
“It happens more often than you think,” says Emeline, a Rennaise salad bar fan. And it’s always when we’re in a big hurry. These people often go out in pairs. They chat in line and when their turn comes, boom, they wake up and wonder out loud. However, it’s not difficult to read the signs or copy the previous customer. » “I can’t stand these people anymore! They can see that there are people behind, that people are staring at them. For that alone, in their place, I would have stood aside to think,” says Steven, a not-happy customer in Nantes. “Frankly, sometimes I want to hit them,” insists Emeline in a burst of pacifism.
The arguments of the stupid
“It’s okay, it’s okay, why be impatient? There’s no fire at the lake…”, explains Alain, a nerd from Nantes who makes the old-fashioned expression his own. inspired by Lake Geneva. “We’re not a minute away. There will be enough for everyone,” adds his slow companion. An argument validated by catering professionals, like Soumia, an employee of a Parisian Subway. “I understand that it annoys the regulars but frankly, it doesn’t bother us. On the contrary, it allows us to breathe a little at a time when we really have our heads in the handlebars. A few seconds of respite here and there are always good to have. We won’t get paid more anyway. »
Another argument put forward: the sacrosanct conviviality, the pleasure of exchanging with the merchant. “Supporting the customer, the advisor, that’s part of the job,” reacts Nadine, manager of Salad’île in Nantes. I understand that some people may be preoccupied with their next meeting. We are not here to put pressure on them. Good humor is essential. »
What does Science say?
Indecision is not necessarily a fault. Far from there. The most hesitant people are even those who make the most sensible decisions, and who ask the best questions. This is what emerges from a study carried out by a doctoral student and a teacher in social psychology at the University of Dresden (Germany), identified by Slate. Instead of giving themselves a clear conscience by convincing themselves that the decision that tempts them is the best one, “the undecided will, on the contrary, tend to look into the other possibilities that present themselves, and to constantly imagine that the path they are preparing not to borrow is perhaps the best,” the website reports. A good reason not to rush.
As for the feeling of impatience, it is growing and affects 82% of French people, according to a survey by the OpinionWay institute carried out in 2018. And the phenomenon would be largely linked to the development of our digital uses and our need for an “immediate response”, according to several sociologists. Waiting times would be perceived as “wasted time”. But a study by the American psychology researcher Sarah Schnitker has demonstrated that more patient individuals accomplish their goals more, have a more optimistic view of their environment and are, ultimately, happier in life.
OUR FILE ON EVERYDAY TROUBLES
The infallible trick to make the jerk understand that he is a jerk?
The most natural reaction would be to put pressure on him by telling him pointedly that, no, choosing between oatmeal bread and Italian bread, between Caesar sauce and honey mustard, is not a decision that requires call a friend. An innocent “no progress today, we’re going to be late” said out loud in line should be enough to get the message across.
The other possibility is to imitate kindness and offer “help” to the consumer in distress. Discomfort also assured. But will it be enough to accelerate the pace? Not sure. The risk is of making the accused angry or panicked.
To ensure this, restaurants have deployed another technique, already proven by Mc Do, Buger King and even Pokana: installing several touch screens for ordering. Everyone has their own terminal, everyone has their own path, no message to your neighbor.
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