Most members of society agree the person who's been waiting longest should be served next. The American line is rooted in the classic British first come first serve cue. In many US businesses, Dr. Q told me, he used to pride themselves on implementing these serpentine lines. But today Americans are waiting in a new kind of cue, a priority cue.
About a year ago I travelled across America for the BBC. I visited Airports, Amusement parks, Highways and Community Colleges in order to understand how the priority queue is changing the American experience of waiting in line. A version of this piece aired on the BBC World Service, part of their “Real America” series produced in conjunction with PRX.
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