Professional Line-Standers

During the release of the new iPhone 7 and sales offers on the occasions like Black Friday and Christmas, people are seen standing in long queues, days before the opening hour of the sales. Many of them often pitch tents in nearby public parks to secure their positions in the long line. This annual shopping frenzy brings opportunities for people who are confident about their patience and temperament. These people with patience are professional line-standers. During occasions and sales, these professionals are particularly busy and a report of Business Insiders says that during Black Friday sales line-standers can earn more than 1000 bucks per day for standing in the queue. In many countries, students, employees and businessmen, who remain engaged elsewhere during the sales hours, rely on these professional line-standers to grab their desired gadgets at a discounted price. In the UK, there are also service centres where one can hire these men and women to stand in the queue on behalf of others. In Bangladesh, we often do this job for our friends and families to buy bus and train tickets during the Eid rush. However, in this country, this job will take some more time to gain a foothold as most of us are yet to realise the usefulness of a queue when we can get what we want just by fighting with the entire crowd or by bribing the salesman.