Professional line standing — paying people to stand in line for you — has become a growing, lucrative industry, as seemingly every store, restaurant, show, etc., now has a line around the block for entry or to score tickets.
The Big Line: No one wants to be left out of the coolest happenings, but as the “cash-rich, time-poor” (as Insider’s Eve Upton-Clark so cleverly calls them) don’t have time to be everywhere at once, having an army of bodies at your disposal is a godsend. But that could radically re-organize the demographics of who can access the most in-demand events.
Between the Ropes: Would you pay to not have to physically wait in line? Because a lot of people already are.
Line-standing services increased 18% on TaskRabbit last November and December (fueled by demand in major cities), with the average wage growing to $27/hour.
Line standers are usually booked a few days in advance, though some last-minute, same-day requests do happen. Most jobs require arriving early in the morning to secure a prime spot or waiting outside in inclement weather.
The demand for line standers has blown up so much that some have launched companies, like Skip The Line, with rosters of line-waiting professionals.
Hilariously, that’s led to some lines being inundated with mercenary line standers, who’ve toyed with sabotage tactics and aggressive skipping to get further up the queue.
Last Minute: The rise of line-standing services raises some age-old questions: “What’s more valuable: time or money? And does having more money buy you more time?” Heady questions for something as simple as waiting for a new iPhone. But the demand to save time has launched a market of services, such as membership club LineLeap, online marketplace Appointment Trader, and rewards tied to Amex cards.
But there’s a flip side to the wait economy: to preserve the integrity of some events, a few places even actively bar any service that allows people to skip the line… leaving admission to those willing to endure boredom.
Fun Fact: For pro line standers, the richest gig is waiting to get into a Supreme Court hearing. Only 50 people are allowed in, so people sometimes line up for days to score entry. Now that’s a payday.
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