In this satirical music video from Saturday Night Live, a group of New Yorkers enthusiastically sing about their favorite weekend activity: waiting in long lines for trendy restaurants, pop-up events, and limited-time experiences. As the line grows longer, the participants treat the wait itself as a badge of honor, even though they spend hours standing around for products and experiences that could be obtained more quickly in other ways.

This sketch provides a great introduction to allocation mechanisms. While markets often allocate goods through prices, this clip highlights an alternative system: first-come, first-served. Long lines emerge when prices are kept artificially low or when businesses choose not to raise prices despite high demand. The result is that consumers pay with their time instead of their money, creating an opportunity to discuss efficiency, fairness, and the trade-offs between price rationing and queueing.

Thanks to Brian Lynch for the clip submission!