Don't queue if you don't have to.

Some years ago in London, I decided to have a ride on the vaunted London Eye, that big ferris wheel near the Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey. I queued hours and hours. I don't know how I found the patience to waste so much time, as I was only having a short break in London. After that ordeal, when I finally reached the ticket desk, they only had tickets for a slot a couple of days in the future! I could not take up the offer, as I would have left London by then. I had wasted hours that I could have spent much more enjoyably in London and it would violate the Terms of Service if I told you how annoyed I was. (I still am annoyed when I remember what happened, as I blame the management of the London Eye for the debacle.)

When next I planned a visit to London, I booked online so that I did not have to queue for the ticket. I STILL had to join an incredibly long queue for the ride itself. It was so long that ushers were employed to create a broad gap in the queue, to allow pedestrians to cross! I did eventually get on the London Eye, though. It was fairly interesting but as soon as you get to the top, you are on your way down again. I am not sure that it was worth the trouble. I certainly won't be doing it again.

During a different visit to London, I also saw a long queue outside the D'Oyly Carte Theatre, all waiting to buy tickets for the Pirates of Penzance. I was much wiser on that occasion and booked my ticket by telephone, using my credit card. I went and collected it just before the show and I walked to my seat without having to queue at all. I was quite smug as I walked past a long queue of people who were still trying to get tickets for that performance.