Race to Wait

You can see it before you even get in the parking lot.

Like a jaguar you can sense it, feel it and watch it unravel right before your eyes.

From behind the glass of your windshield you shudder at the thought of what lays ahead. Once you finally manage to find a parking spot at your favorite restaurant, you quickly fumble with your seat belt, you have to get out........now.

As you open the door to your car you can see in the distance 6 other people all quickly walking to the front. It becomes clear that they have seen the wait too, and they're trying to beat you.

The crowd of people in front of the restaurant doors appears to be getting larger and larger every time your foot hits the pavement. Sweat is starting to form above your brow. Dancing numbers of wait times and vibrating pagers start floating through your head....how long will it be? 20 min? An hour?

The other 6 people who are racing you to the front appear to be picking up pace....none of them are sprinting, after all, that would be awkward to do in public. But it does appear that they have started to speed walk a little faster than normal. Every person that beats you to the hostess adds precious minutes to the wait time.

You start to merge in closer to the door slowly but surely cutting the people off who are racing to the front....you get to the door first.....and jump to the hostess stand. You made it. Congrats....now you have to wait 45 min.

This short fable may seem rather familiar....all of us have done it before. Just yesterday I found myself jumping excitedly out of my car desperately trying to beat people inside in order to put our name down to wait.

There is nothing worse than having to wait at restaurants. Sure you get to people watch but most of the time I just find myself thinking that it's not worth it.

We need to solve the wait problem.....how should we do it?