Queuing is never far from the headlines these days but usually it’s about the waiting lists for NHS operations, the length of waiting times in A&E or the queuing of ambulances outside hospitals. This news item was about the practice of queuing for someone else. I first heard of it in India where the simple act of buying a railway ticket could involve queueing for hours or even days , an inconvenience that could be avoided by paying a young person to do it for you. In another example I read that in a notorious slum you could pay a young boy to save your place in the early morning toilet queue allowing you to enjoy a more leisurely breakfast. Of course India is now a more modern and prosperous country so this practice may no longer be necessary. I thought of this as a characteristic of a third world country a sign of poverty and the gap between between rich and poor. So I was surprised to learn that in New York there are people who offer this service not for railway tickets but tickets to see hit broadway shows. Sam will stand in-line overnight for a customer before relinquishing his position at the front of the queue when the ticket office opens. How long before the service is offered here in the UK or someone describes their occupation as a professional queuer?
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