A volunteer (left) guides people into lines at a bus stop in Beijing on Sunday, February 11, 2007. The day marks the first "Queue Day" in the city. From now on, the eleventh day of every month will remind citizens to line up for things. [Photo: bjd.com.cn]

Related: Beijingers Urged To Queue on Monthly "Queuing Day"

                11th Day of Every Month Reminds Beijingers to Line Up

Starting from Sunday, every eleventh day of the month will be an officially designated "Queue Day" for Beijing residents. The idea is to discourage queue jumping and encourage more respect for public order. Those behind the initiative say the number "11" represents two people in a line.

An opinion piece in the Beijing News is all for the new move; it says queue jumping brings disgrace on all Chinese people - especially for a nation known to be the home of propriety since ancient times.

It says that such simple behavior as waiting in line has always been one of the hallmarks of civilization. It adds that during the development of modern cities, respect for public order and morality was key to maintaining a functioning society.

The article calls for every day to be a "queue day" - and not only for people but also for cars! In this way, it concludes, the end of a queue will become a place where the true nature of a harmonious society can be found.