Irony

Eighteen years ago, before the revolution, Romanians stood in lines like this to get bread, a couple of eggs, a little bit of sugar. And what do they wait for today? To pay their bills...for cable television and internet access. I dare say they didn't even dream of this 18 years ago!

I intended to pay my own internet bill on Thursday morning, the first time I spotted the line. However, I know that the line inside is only half as long as the line outside, and I've waited inside for up to 45 minutes before. With temperatures below freezing, I wasn't particularly interested in standing in line outside for up to an hour and a half and then inside for another 45 minutes. So, I went back later in the afternoon. The line was still outside. Yesterday morning? Still outside. Afternoon? When I finally took this picture. Although lines to pay bills aren't unusual, the length of this one definitely is an aberration. Truthfully, I can't figure out why they all stood there and didn't just come back later. When I was there just after they opened at 9 o'clock this morning, I was the 5th person in line (and still waited for almost half an hour!). My bill is paid, I had some amusement for the week, and I dare say I'm not half as cold as those people who stood there forever and are probably still wondering if they will ever feel their toes again.