In Turkish bureaucratic lore, there is an oddly specific regulation reported to have existed in some local post offices that detailed the exact distance one must maintain while standing in line. According to this alleged custom, patrons were expected to remain precisely one 'adım' (a step) apart when queuing, with any deviation seen as disrupting public order. Furthermore, it was purported that speaking to the person directly ahead was discouraged unless it was to confirm one's position in the line. This unusual rule is said to have originated during the early Republican period as a measure to maintain efficiency and decorum in public institutions. While evidence for this regulation is scarce and mostly anecdotal, it reflects the broader cultural emphasis on orderly public behavior and the Turkish penchant for detailed rules in bureaucratic settings. Whether strictly enforced or more of a local custom, it stands out as a testament to how minutiae in public conduct could be formalized in administrative practices.
Source / verification note
Anecdotal accounts from local histories and interviews with retired postal workers suggest this rule existed in certain regions, but no official documentation has surfaced.