My wife went to see some Olympic speed skating with a friend. After a long wait, they were finally next in line for security screening. They then received an impromptu education on how to cut in line effectively, as two Dutch guys bypassed the lineup entirely.
- If you are going to cut in, you might as well go for the head of the line. It reduces the amount of time for someone to react violently to your poor upbringing.
- Timing is everything. Wait for a weak link in the line before making your move. My wife and her friend are not the types to either a) stab a guy in the neck with their keys, or b) falsely accuse someone of making a bomb threat, so they had to settle for glaring balefully at the bullies. The people next in line were elderly and also not willing to be confrontational.
- Pretend not to speak the local language. Speaking only Dutch to one another and babbling randomly in response when addressed bought them a little more time, until someone further back in the line who knew about the fluency of the Dutch called them out on it.
- If forced to respond, do not encourage further confrontation. Rather than the more provocative "what you going to do about it?", they went with "we don't care what you think".
