Opinions Wanted! Hudson Valley Customer Behavior: Rude vs. Righteous

Turning to the Hudson Valley once again to settle a bit of a tricky debate, this time, about customer behavior at a local convenience store/gas station.  A friend of mine got in touch with me earlier and was FUMING about a situation he had encountered on his way into work and said that I should "totally write about it and see what other people think."  Challenge accepted, i'm on it.

Let me set the scene for you...

Busy gas station and convenience store during morning drive time.  We're talking like 7:30am on a weekday.  Store has a decent number of customers and a line at the register of people waiting to purchase their items.  While waiting in line behind a few people, my friend said that a woman walked in, made herself a coffee, walked up to the register, where people were still waiting in line, dropped money on the counter, making a comment of having exact change, and then walked out the door.

So I ask...rude or righteous?

To me, as someone who worked in customer service for a LONG time (at a busy bagel shop, too, so I can relate), this move was rude, completely rude.  Others in line may have had exact change as well, but were waiting their turn, so what gave this person the right to cut in front of them?  I'm sure many of those people had things to do, places to be, and wanted to get out the door quickly, so why did they have to wait in line when this woman felt that she did not?

My friend was not quiet, apparently calling the woman out and letting her know that her move wasn't cool (perhaps with a few other choice words), and I don't blame him, at all.

Would you speak up if you were one of the people waiting in line?