Before the Olympics, the Chinese government realized that this "no line" mentality was NOT accepted by western cultures. In efforts to assimilate the idea into Chinese culture, the government promoted advertisements about "how to stand in line". Standing in line "is fun! You get to meet new people!" the ads claimed.
While effective during the Olympics, the concept of "the line" was quickly forgotten. Back to the race.
I remember first encountering the behavior at Disneyland when I was a child. I didn't know it to be anything other than pushing and shoving though I realized it was large groups of Orientals doing it. It's interesting to know how deeply ingrained the cultural behavior is. Thanks for the info!
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