No doubt many Canadians remember drinking from school water fountains long before students carried water bottles. When the school day began, some elementary students would rush to get a drink while the other children queued in an orderly fashion.
Learning about queuing culture was a major lesson for students in elementary school. There were, of course, different queues for different school activities. The big boy who pushed others out of the way at the fountain couldn’t push his weight around in English class or math class.
Mastering the rules for queuing was a necessary, but often harsh, lesson for young students. But it definitely helped children become mature adults.
The adult world is full of queues: waiting for a stop light to change, making an appointment at a dental office, lining up at the grocery checkout counter.
Over the last few months of the COVID-19 crisis, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, provincial premiers and health-care officials have made it clear that Canadians should stay home, physically isolating.