'AITA for not letting a mom and her daughter cut the line at the ice cream shop?'

"AITA for not letting a mom and her daughter cut the line at the ice cream shop?"

So this is happened yesterday and I’m still kinda feeling weird about it. I (23F) was in line at this super popular ice cream shop, like the kind that always has a long line and cute instagram worthy cones. It was a hot day, weekend afternoon, and I’d already been waiting like 20 mins. I was maybe 5th from the front, finally almost there.

Then this mom with a little girl (maybe 5-ish) walks up next to me and goes, “Would you mind if we just jumped ahead real quick? She’s really hot and just wants some ice cream.” The little girl was adorable, sure, but also…we’re all hot and we all want ice cream?

I kinda awkwardly smiled and said, “sorry, I’ve been waiting too,” and turned back around. The mom didn’t say anything but did this big passive-aggressive sigh and said to her daughter loud enough for me to hear, “some people just don’t have empathy.”

Like…what? I wasn’t rude, I just didn’t want to let someone skip after I’d already stood there melting for 20 minutes. And yes, I get that kids can be impatient and uncomfortable, but does that mean they just get to bypass everyone?

Some people around me have me this weird look like I was the villain, and now I’m wondering…AITA for not letting them cut the line even though it was just a mom and her little girl?

Here's what people had to say to OP:

PushkinMage said:

NTA. A part of parenthood is to make sure the kids are ready for the real world, that includes standing in lines and waiting your turn.

Dry-Attitude-6790 said:

I work at a school and give out lunch orders every Friday. Last week I had a kid cut in front of the first person in the line. They asked them ‘can I go ahead?’ And the kid said yes.

I stopped the child and told them that they only asked one person in the line if they could cut and that person did not speak for the whole line. The child hadn’t asked everyone if it was ok to cut but assumed because the first person said yes it was ok. It’s not ok to ask one person to cut in front - you don’t get to make that decision for everyone behind you in the line. NTA.

yourlittlebirdie said:

NTA if it had been for the bathroom then sure, I’ll always let a little kid or pregnant lady cut. But ice cream? The nerve of some people.

lostalldoubt86 said:

NTA - I have a feeling that mom uses her daughter as an excuse to cut in line often. The people around you giving the stink eye would probably have ALSO not given up their spot in line.

Sailor_MoonMoon785 said:

NTA—if it was a line for the bathroom and an emergency for the kid, that’d be one thing. But ice cream? Nope. Kid needs to learn patience , but clearly Mom doesn’t have it to teach.

emlikescereal said:

NTA - I promise you the "weird look," everyone gave was probably about the mother.