Couple cuts in line at science fiction convention, then gets confronted by everyone who waited in the heat, organizer arrives to confiscate their badges: ‘They sent them on their defeated way’

Author image for Bar Mor Hazut
Bar Mor Hazut • Senior Editor
Jul 13, 2026 7:45 AM EDT

Is cutting in line really worth the risk?

There are many things we used to do as kids that we would never do as adults, mainly because we now understand the social issues with some silly actions we took back then, which are not okay to do now. For example, when we were kids, finding ways to cut in line without being discovered and called out was able to give us a thrill better than the thing we were actually waiting for. We remember seeing the long lines at a theme park and trying to calculate the best location to sneak in the middle while going undetected.

Many attempts, if we're being honest, were complete failures. People would notice immediately that a group of kids who were not there before suddenly appeared in front of them, and they would call us out and demand we go back to the end of the line. And again, since we were kids who didn't care about repercussions, sometimes we obliged and turned back, but most of the time we simply pretended we didn't know English and stayed in our spot, hoping the others in line would simply let it go.

Now, the reason we are bringing this up is not to claim that we should all go back to our juvenile ways and start cutting in lines again, but to set a reminder that we should not behave like the children we once were, especially not when it comes to this. No one likes waiting in line, but cutting is never the solution. Not only is it incredibly inconsiderate to those who waited, but there are often consequences, something that our tiny brains as kids never let sink in. 

If someone tries to cut in line, they will probably be confronted and kicked back to the end of it. They might be banned from staying in the line altogether, which definitely is not worth the risk, if you ask us. Is that what happens in the story below? Keep scrolling to find out!

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  • 01
    People waiting in line at a convention.
    via PinkBadger

    People waiting in line at a convention.

    Subjects are models.

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    We know it's hot, Karen. We've been waiting in this heat for hours!

    My husband and I attended a science fiction convention where there was a panel for a popular franchise with several of the main actors. When we
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    arrived ~1.5-2 hours in advance, there were already enough people waiting that the line was outside the building and around the corner. It was the
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    middle of a very hot, humid summer day. We were wearing heavy cosplays with foam and 3d printed armor pieces (think trash bag in terms of
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    breathability). We seriously considered just how much we really cared about this franchise. Alas, we are dedicated nerds!
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    We ended up talking to the people in line around us, and quickly realized we had a lot in common with people who liked the same thing as us. Who
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    knew? As the sun beat down more and more, we shared cooling packs, fans, and water. By the time the line started moving, we had formed a bond with our line buddies.
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    The way that the line moved, there was one point where the organizer had us stop and leave a big gap behind me for people crossing another way. Several
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    people saw this, assumed the line was surprisingly short, and hopped behind me, before they were told, "The end of the line is down the block and around the corner." Most people
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    looked at the line behind them, realized their mistake, and sadly walked to the end of the line. But not Karen and Kevin.
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    Large hall at a science fiction convention.
    via Connor Gan

    Large hall at a science fiction convention.

    Subjects are models.

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    Karen got behind me. I told her where the end of the line is. She ignored me and called for Kevin and her friends to come join her in the short line. The people in
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    front of me spoke up. Karen finally realized she couldn't just pretend she didn't hear multiple people telling her she's cutting.
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    She said, "It's so hot. We don't want to walk all the way to the end of the line. We're just going to stand here." People continued pushing back. Their
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    friends quickly left, but Kevin refused and basically said "Too bad. What are you going to do?" Everyone was taken aback in stunned silence long enough for Kevin to think that settled it.
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    He and Karen looked smugly at everyone who wasn't clever enough to blatantly cut the line. Then the organizer came back.
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    Several of us pointed out the cutters. Karen tried to lie and say they'd been there all along. The organizer looked like they were going to let her get away
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    with it, just to avoid the he said- she said, when the gap closed. Our line buddies hugged us and greeted us by name. Then they looked at Karen and Kevin, and said, "Who are they?" That did
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    settle it. The organizer suggested Karen and Kevin review the convention rules on their badges, before they were confiscated, and sent them on their sad, defeated way.
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    It was an awesome panel. EDIT TO ADD: Congratulations to the person who guessed this was at DragonCon. It was a Baldur's Gate 3 panel shortly after they swept all the gaming
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    awards, with the voice actors for Astarion, Shadowheart, and Wyll and a director. The line buddy who asked "Who are they?" was dressed as Karlach and was wielding a very big axe.
    via Flimsy_Tooth1704

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convention work events entitled people karma waiting in line science fiction karma entitled people
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