Budging. Cutting in line. Skipping. Butting. Doesn’t it make your blood boil? The standing line evokes strong feelings about justice — breaking what we see as the rules for waiting in line can arouse anger and even violence that feel totally out of proportion to the length of our wait. Why are we such raging moralists when it comes to waiting our turn?

Dessa finds out what standing in line can reveal about social status and hidden power dynamics — and that the serpentine line in her local supermarket is a good thing. 

Deeply Human is a BBC World Service and American Public Media coproduction with iHeartMedia.