英国人平均能忍受的排队时间为10分42秒

A nation renowned¹ for the art of queuing may be losing its patience, a survey has shown, with the average British adult able to stand in line for only 10 minutes and 42 seconds before tempers start to fray².

一项调查显示，向来以喜欢排队著称的英国人可能正在失去耐性：英国成人平均能忍受的排队时间仅为10分42秒，超过这个时间，他们的脾气就变得暴躁起来。

The most loathed³（讨厌） lines were in supermarkets, followed by the Post Office and airport check-in and security.

Older respondents over 55 became restless（焦躁不安的） in a queue nearly three minutes before younger people but those aged⁴ under 35 were more likely to take their frustration⁵ out on those around them.

Two thirds of respondents said "faffing（忙乱） ," or dawdling⁶（懒散的，闲逛的） , by those in front of them was the thing they hated most.

Most Brits would rather avoid queues entirely⁷, with eight in 10 adults instead choosing to pay their bills online, according to the survey by the Payments Council, the body for setting payment strategy in Britain.

The online poll of 2,006 adults found that one in five people do their shopping at night to avoid the lines.

"Our research shows that more of us are waking up to the fact that you can skip the queue altogether, saving time and money, by using 'queue dodging⁸ tactics' like internet shopping, online banking⁹ and paying bills electronically," said a council spokeswoman.