My flight was delayed, so I hung around an open sitting area, waiting for my gate to appear on the monitor. I noticed that lots of people heading to Trondheim had also chosen to sit around where I sat, in a very crowded airport (Alicante)
Then I hear one of them go "Its gate 37! Boarding has started!"
and immediately I think "that can't be, they have to unload the plane, that takes at least 45 minutes or so... "
Sure enough, at the gate, it still says "delayed", altho the gate has been set, and the plane has landed.
As time goes by, more and more of my compatriots gather around the gate - and begin to form a line.
We're probably no more then 50 people, and each one has a pre-assigned seat. What the hell are they forming a line for, there's plenty of benches, and tons of time. I take a walk. Around the whole airport. As long as it says "delayed" I know there's at least another whole hour to go. I come back later, they're still in their line. The gate inactive. As they finally open the gate, everyone still not in line gets in the line, multiplying it.
I see ONE dad arguing with his daughter, she is sighing, nagging, pointing at the line -
HE goes "But dear... you see... " in a clear sarcastic tone - "We have these things called assigned seats - they are going nowhere. We don't have to get in a line."
and the daughter goes "Oh my gaaaaaaaaaaawd!" (in norwegian) and eyerolls and sighs at her clearly superlame dad.
Finally they too get in the line.
In the end, its just me, and a young couple - and I even get up to take a final piss at the restroom, and come back to the still long and slow moving line. Finally they too give in to this absurdity, and get up, and walk to the far back of the line, and begin to move slowly towards the gate, little by little.
I'm the ONLY guy left, sitting comfortably, RIGHT NEXT TO THE LINE, as it aaaaalllll walks past me. When theres only 2-3 people left, I calmly get up, check my ticket, and board the plane.
So weird. I understand the line will have to form in some shape or other at the moment it's time to board, but a whole hour before, this strong competitive spirit - when nobody has anything to compete for :S
All seats are pre-assigned. There's _nothing_ to hurry about.
I noticed one mother even use that word "hurry! to the line!"