Latest posts for the topic "Kids and Queues?"

Kids and Queues?

Sun, 20 Feb 2011 11:03:17 GMT

Morning all.

Not an earth shattering topic this one but one I'm curious about as it's pi$$ed me off in the past.

In European resorts many kids seem to think they have a god given right to barge through lift queues so they can get on first. Not a subtle thing but forcing their way though and around people. When I was a kid it would have been unthinkable to barge an adult out of the way!

Now the one time I skied in Canada there was not a hint of this. Everyone took their turn down to several queues merging and people automatically taking alternate turns to move forward.

My question is have these European kids been told that they are allowed to go first? Is it the polite and the right thing to let them through?

My instincts when I see it are to block them or stand on their bindings but that would be bad if they're doing nothing wrong? :twisted:

If socially it has been deemed that kids may go first then why not give them their own line at the lift?

Cheers,

Owen.

Re:Kids and Queues?

Sun, 20 Feb 2011 11:15:05 GMT

I have only ever skiied in Austria and had no real problems. Kids in Skischule do sometimes push in but the instructors do have to try and keep together. I hate it when people push in but I have had to train my children not to be too British (apologies if that is a bit racist), but my younger one nearly got suffocated at Disneyland Paris by an adult! That said there is a difference between being assertive and being aggressive. Failing that you could always use your ski pole- accidently of course :wink:

Re:Kids and Queues?

Sun, 20 Feb 2011 11:37:23 GMT

Well - I am not aware of any "cultural" thing about letting kids through in lift queues.
But - I reckon there are as many polite as impolite kids, adults, Brits, French etc etc.
Perhaps kids are just more noticeable?
What gets me going are those who hold back on a chair when it is busy to be with their firends.
You know - queue a mile long and most 4 man chairs going up with 3 etc.
No problem when no queue, but .... :evil:

Re:Kids and Queues?

Sun, 20 Feb 2011 11:58:46 GMT

My first ski trip was to M & as I was going to ski school I had to go in the cable car up to the Ahorn, this was my first experience in a cable car & the queueing system. :evil:
It was in March & was a school holiday period so kids were everywhere, the adults were bad enough trying to push past but the kids were worse, even had them crawling between my legs as well as some pushing in around the sides, total chaos & seemed to be no one supervising them.
As for the cable car when I thought it was full another 15 got in, I have never been so cramped in my life, ski bus the same as the lift.
As I said it was my first ski trip & it almost put me off skiing, knowing you had to do this every morning.In some resorts they have a separate entrance for kids going to ski school & this helps, although you will have to wait longer as they go first.

Re:Kids and Queues?

Sun, 20 Feb 2011 13:31:26 GMT

I avoid the school holidays like the plague so don't find too much of a problem. I have seen it and where possible block them from getting past. I find using a ski pole to open their rear binding soon slows them down.

Re:Kids and Queues?

Sun, 20 Feb 2011 13:48:57 GMT

Catching the Bellvue Cable Car in Les Houches we were confronted with hundreds of tiny children in ski kit. Bit of a holdup at the turnstile which turned out to be quite funny. All of the children were so small, their lift passes were below the sensor, and they were too small to push the turnstile.
The Lifty resolved this by picking each child up by the collar of their ski jacket, swiping the whole child against the sensor and depositing them on the other side to go into the cabin.
8)

Re:Kids and Queues?

Sun, 20 Feb 2011 14:19:11 GMT

I normally find a low cloths line does the trick followed by a quick apology or for the adults just unclip one their bindings it normally slows them up :evil:

Re:Kids and Queues?

Sun, 20 Feb 2011 15:01:56 GMT

Like others, I travel out of school holiday periods so its not USUALLY a problem. I think the issue with kids pushing through comes from when they're in ski school and they usually get taken by their instructor to the front or have a special lane for them, but once they're out of ski school they still think they can go first.
TBH I have found the problem far more common with adults, particularly in France, and a couple of times I have had to poke someone in the back with a pole, or block their attempt to push past. This usually results in a quick apology and a load of "European waffle" which once they know your English they give off as some kind of justification as to why they should be getting in front of everyone.
I haven't tried opening peoples bindings yet, but if I have a problem next week, I might give that a go, could be quite amusing.

What does Pee me off is when the person behind you in the queue for the lift thinks its acceptable to literally make spoons with you and shuffle RIGHT up behind you, which generally involves them standing on the tails of your skis. Ok, when you have rental skis its still annoying, but when they're your own skis, its bordering on vandalism.
This is the one time I really do unload and have a go at someone if they do it more than once, knowing that the first time could be accidental. Please, don't stand on someone ski tails.

Re:Kids and Queues?

Sun, 20 Feb 2011 17:06:51 GMT

Unfortunately opening their bindings is not an option with the cable car.

Re:Kids and Queues?

Sun, 20 Feb 2011 17:14:22 GMT

When I was in Niederau last year the first thing our instructor told our (all English) group was "don't be British when queuing". This meant just glide straight to the most convenient little gap of the general melee by the lift and work your way in, not aggressively, but just unashamedly, no concessions to kids or anyone else. We all mastered the art pretty quickly and no one ever seemed to mind. I tried it again this year, but unfortunately everyone else in the line was British and I got a right mouthful from all sides ! I tried explaining that it was the "European way" and that everyone should do it, but I don't think I convinced anyone ! I ended up buying drinks in the bar afterwards by way of apology ! But I still prefer the "European way".

Re:Kids and Queues?

Sun, 20 Feb 2011 17:18:19 GMT

brooksy wrote:
Unfortunately opening their bindings is not an option with the cable car.

I practised on my brother in law, then got a German who pushed in front of us :evil:

Re:Kids and Queues?

Mon, 21 Feb 2011 19:00:12 GMT

Actually I find people that go through then stand right in the way as they wait for their friends more of an annoyance. That and people that want their own chair when it's busy, fill the things!

Re:Kids and Queues?

Tue, 22 Feb 2011 13:39:40 GMT

I'm with Ian on this one. When you have a general Melee you need to work your way to the front, if not aggressively, then with a certain forcefulness. No concessions to the kids or the oldies. As a child it was a game to be played - Who could get the the front quickest.

Having said that, working in Montgenevre, I am out of practice. Queues don't really exist here.

Re:Kids and Queues?

Tue, 22 Feb 2011 13:44:47 GMT

A strategic pole between their skis, a wide ski stance, elbows out. If all else fails opening their bindings....

Parisians and Londoners don't get the game but have a natural talent. Fights are more likely to break out when it' the stressed out execs with families skiing than on a week with families from the regions.

Re:Kids and Queues?

Tue, 22 Feb 2011 16:56:06 GMT

"When in Rome..."

See a gap, get in to it, don't hesitate, don't give an inch, don't look back. NO REGRETS!

Child specific tip - if they're pushing in from the side of you draw smiley faces in the snow with your pole. By the time they've figured it out and shown their mates you're on your way :D

Re:Kids and Queues?

Tue, 22 Feb 2011 17:55:52 GMT

EmmaEvs wrote:Child specific tip - if they're pushing in from the side of you draw smiley faces in the snow with your pole. By the time they've figured it out and shown their mates you're on your way :D

Like it Emma ...
Wondering if a pocket full of M&M's, Smarties or similar could work?
Scatter them to the side, away from the line etc.
Hmmmm - could be onto something here.
:lol:

Re:Kids and Queues?

Tue, 22 Feb 2011 19:19:32 GMT

billip wrote:When I was in Niederau last year the first thing our instructor told our (all English) group was "don't be British when queuing". This meant just glide straight to the most convenient little gap of the general melee by the lift and work your way in, not aggressively, but just unashamedly, no concessions to kids or anyone else. We all mastered the art pretty quickly and no one ever seemed to mind. I tried it again this year, but unfortunately everyone else in the line was British and I got a right mouthful from all sides ! I tried explaining that it was the "European way" and that everyone should do it, but I don't think I convinced anyone ! I ended up buying drinks in the bar afterwards by way of apology ! But I still prefer the "European way".

Brits in"N" thats a shock :lol:

Re:Kids and Queues?

Tue, 22 Feb 2011 21:14:36 GMT

Ian Wickham wrote:

billip wrote:When I was in Niederau last year the first thing our instructor told our (all English) group was "don't be British when queuing". This meant just glide straight to the most convenient little gap of the general melee by the lift and work your way in, not aggressively, but just unashamedly, no concessions to kids or anyone else. We all mastered the art pretty quickly and no one ever seemed to mind. I tried it again this year, but unfortunately everyone else in the line was British and I got a right mouthful from all sides ! I tried explaining that it was the "European way" and that everyone should do it, but I don't think I convinced anyone ! I ended up buying drinks in the bar afterwards by way of apology ! But I still prefer the "European way".

Someone in"N" thats a shock :lol:

:shock: )

Re:Kids and Queues?

Wed, 23 Feb 2011 15:09:21 GMT

I think it depends where you go in Austria and Finland every one queued, in Italy it depends where you go, some places everyone queues politely in others they just barge in, Livingo is one of the worst I have ever been to as well as Zakopane in Poland

Re:Kids and Queues?

Wed, 23 Feb 2011 19:09:55 GMT

I think you need to keep it in perspective I have always found that it is just the occasional person that try's to jump the queue.

Re:Kids and Queues?

Wed, 23 Feb 2011 19:28:19 GMT

Anyway, rule #1 - dont go during kids holidays. Simples.

Re:Kids and Queues?

Wed, 23 Feb 2011 22:09:08 GMT

Ian Wickham wrote:

Brits in"N" thats a shock :lol:

:D

Re:Kids and Queues?

Thu, 24 Feb 2011 08:24:57 GMT

Will you guy's stop playing with my posts :lol:

Re:Kids and Queues?

Thu, 24 Feb 2011 19:02:58 GMT

Can't remember the last time I skied a resort busy enough to have queues, with modern lifts long queues are surely a thing of the past? Other than when a lift has stopped for some reason.

Re:Kids and Queues?

Thu, 24 Feb 2011 23:46:55 GMT

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ANDYHULL REPORTS FROM OUTER MONGOLIAN SKI RESORT!!!

Re:Kids and Queues?

Fri, 25 Feb 2011 06:01:29 GMT

Dave Mac wrote:STOP PRESS, NEW HEADLINES::::::::
ANDYHULL REPORTS FROM OUTER MONGOLIAN SKI RESORT!!!

:lol:

On a serious note, theres some amazing back country out there.....

Re:Kids and Queues?

Mon, 28 Feb 2011 10:29:36 GMT

I liked the approach adopted by a rather large Swede who objected to an adolescent pushing though the queue for the cable car in Kreishberg - he leant across & plucked the youth up with one hand & dropped him back over the stair rails - down a 4 foot drop into a bank of snow & said - "Now you go back & practice queueing until you learn some manners"

Re:Kids and Queues?

Mon, 28 Feb 2011 10:40:22 GMT

Andy, how did you find Kreishberg. I have been there a few times as a mate has a chalet there, don't often come across people who have heard of it let alone skied there. IMO i think its a great place, especially with Turracher Hohe fairly close.

Re:Kids and Queues?

Mon, 28 Feb 2011 11:10:55 GMT

It's a nice small resort - quite busy last week as it was half term. Snow was pretty good.

The ski pass no longer covers nearby resorts - like Turrachahohe which is a shame. So you have to spend E39 for a day there rather than a E6 suppliment.

It has it's foibles - like two T bars up from the top of the gondola to the top of the mountain. Once you are up there the area opens up - drop down one side (on one of 2 runs) & a 6 man chair lift takes you back to the top of the t bars.

Probably not a place for beginners because of the need to go up the T bars but good for intermediates as none of the pistes have any hidden horrors.

Re:Kids and Queues?

Mon, 28 Feb 2011 14:42:45 GMT

I agree on the T Bars, think their problem is the lack of available revenue to put in another chair. The 6 man chair is a new addition, 2 years old I think, this cost over 10 mil euros, which considering it only opens 1 run of any note is a bit of a joke.

Re:Kids and Queues?

Mon, 28 Feb 2011 17:28:56 GMT

andymol2 wrote:I liked the approach adopted by a rather large Swede who objected to an adolescent pushing though the queue for the cable car in Kreishberg - he leant across & plucked the youth up with one hand & dropped him back over the stair rails - down a 4 foot drop into a bank of snow & said - "Now you go back & practice queueing until you learn some manners"

I like it :thumbup: