Is it really that big of a deal? That’s the look you tend to get if you confront someone who cut in the lunch line. And, admittedly, it wouldn’t be a big deal if that person was the only cutter in the cafeteria. But that’s far from being the case.

Cutting is a common occurrence in the Kingwood Park lunch line. If you turn your back for half a second or fail to stand within two inches of the person in front of you, then you’re effectively donating your spot in line to some morally-questionable student, or in many cases, a group of students. It’s irritating, as it takes long enough to get lunch without being constantly bumped back in line. But as frustrating as it is, it’s not the problem of cutting that prompted the writing of this article; it’s the frightening implications that this problem brings to light.

Cutting isn’t a victimless crime. By cutting another person, a student pushes another back in line, obliquely suggesting that they believe their time is more important than other peoples’. This kind of attitude should really end sometime in elementary school, but we’ll give the high school cutters the benefit of the doubt. It could be that they’ve genuinely never thought about morality or that they’ve never had someone explain to them how their actions can affect others. Whatever the case, there’s a simple rule that can guide the way an ethical person should act that’s especially useful in this scenario.

First, question if the action is hurting anyone else. In this case, it is, as cutting moves everyone behind the cutter back in line, wasting their valuable time. Then, think about what would happen if everyone did it. Imagine a cafeteria full of cutters; It would be pure chaos with only the biggest and most aggressive kids getting fed in a timely manner. Is that a world you want to contribute to?

In the end, no one can really put a stop to this problem except the cutters themselves. Despite the efforts of teachers, assistant principals, and student vigilantes, no one can catch all these people.

Besides, you can punish a cutter, but that’s not going to change the way they think. A change of heart is a personal decision.

If you have the tendency to cut lines, try something new next time. Think of all the hungry people behind you that you’re affecting. Maybe you’ll find that your lunch would taste a whole lot better if you got it the honest way.