In an article published last week in Malaysia's leading Chinese-language newspaper, Sin Chew Daily, a Mr Lam recalled unpleasant experiences he had during a recent visit to Shanghai and Zhejiang Province.

Lam and his colleagues were unhappy about the throngs at the railway station in Yiwu, a boom town for production and sales of accessories.

"There were constantly people who jumped into the queues we were in for buying train tickets and getting on and off the trains," Lam was quoted as writing by www.xinhuanet.com.

Lam and his colleagues were especially perturbed by what they experienced during a book fair in Shanghai, which is considered the most modernized metropolis in China.

"While we were leafing through the books or waiting in a line at the cashier, we were constantly elbowed away or pushed around by people who appeared to have come from nowhere," he recalled.

Apparently, no one said "duibuqi" (sorry), or "laojia" (excuse me) to Lam and his colleagues either.

Lam is just one of many visitors from overseas who have developed some grudges against uncivil Chinese manners.

Similar behaviours, such as speaking loudly in public, putting one's feet on a chair at a banquet, spitting or littering in public and, above all, jumping in queues, have also been singled out by media both at home and overseas as typical of the rudeness of some Chinese tourists abroad.

While heated discussions have been taking place in the media and on the Internet regarding the bad manners of some Chinese, most seem to focus on educating and training the individuals.

But good manners are not lacking in our society, especially as far as queues are concerned.

When I shop at the Wu-mart near the north Fourth Ring Road, I often see a long queue of shoppers waiting patiently for their turn to purchase a bagful of eggs, which weighs around 2.5 kilograms. (Wu-mart is known for its comparatively low-priced regular eggs.) I have not seen a single brawl over line-jumping.

At subway stations in downtown Beijing, it is not uncommon to see people waiting in long lines for their turns to buy passes.

There was a time, in the years of "cultural revolution" (1966-76), when long queues were associated with scarcity of food and daily necessities.

Only after I began to travel overseas did I discover that queues are common even in most developed countries, at airports, in amusement parks or even in banks. It is a fair way to make it convenient for every one to get what they want or get served.

But why are there still people who get away with jumping the queues? I believe people sometimes choose to ignore such acts, and so those who violate the social norm take this as tolerance for their uncivil behaviour.

In cities such as Hong Kong and New York, similar acts are never tolerated. Even taking a look at the bus-stop signs in front of the queues could arouse suspicion and even denunciation as jumping the queue. People quickly take the hint and wait at the end of the lines.

Thus, for all the suggestions of building a civilized society, there should be some priorities. I believe one priority is to create an environment in which courtesy and civility are encouraged and uncivil behaviours like jumping the queue, spitting and littering in public places are frowned upon, condemned and stopped.

It is essential for people to learn discipline, behave themselves and contribute to improving the civility of the Chinese people.

(China Daily 09/21/2006 page4)