Ready, Set, Run!

by Maija Swanson
(Chicago)

My sister and I were on vacation in the Yucatan. We were going to attend the night show at Chichen Itza. There was a huge group of Venezuelans that were there as well.

It was suggested that we line up well beforehand. After waiting in a nice, calm line for about an hour, the ticket gate opened and a stampede ensued. People ran across the park like I had never seen. Even people who I would never have guessed were runners regularly ran. My sister and I looked at each other and took off running with everyone else. It was the only thing to do!

When we arrived at our seats, it was open seating. It was calm. People had chosen their seats and were sitting, waiting for the sun to set completely. I asked a Venezuelan woman about it all and she said that was custom whenever there was open seating, a scramble for the best seats. Who would have guessed? Our lesson learned? Always wear running shoes. (We were, thank goodness!)

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Ready, Set, Run!

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Sounds so familiar!
by: Scribetrotter

I really had to laugh at this - Italy is another contender for the queue and run school of lining up... and sometimes they do it with cars! Spot a gap in traffic and a dozen cars will be trying to squeeze through, all at the same time!

In some countries, it's the lines themselves that are at stake - there IS a line-up, but people drift in in front of you and no one seems to mind...

I can see you go
by: Anonymous

That was a good story. I can just see you flashing across the field to ticket booth. You didn't mention, however, if sharp elbows were involved as part of the 'getting the best ticket'???

ha, ha

Gwen McCauley