Lines are more insulting, of course, when they’re distributed unequally. PreCheck, first class, CLEAR. Lines reveal whose time is worth more than whose. (See: women’s bathroom lines.) In Dubai, apparently, the ruling Emiratis get to cut, as do politicians in Thailand. But there’s something egalitarian about an unadulterated line. This is a system that’s un-gameable by algorithm, concierge, or bot. Its rules need no explanation (though Wimbledon’s queuing guide is five pages), and violators are treated harshly. In 2006, a guy stabbed an alleged line cheat near a midtown halal cart, and even a prosecutor acknowledged that everyone hates a cutter. “They sneak,” she said. “Is that polite? No. But is it criminal? No.”journey-inline-newsletterinline-newsletter