SCOTUS Line Waiters $40/hr

September 7th, 2011

I waited all night for McDonald. It was brutal. And there were a number of line-waiters who saved more than one spot. Rough.

Now, there’s this:

If you want to attend full Supreme Court oral arguments, you should consider hiring a line stander.

The current rate for line standers is $36 to $40 per hour, depending on whether or not you have an account with a line standing service. You can search online for “DC line standing” to find information for companies in D.C. that offer this service.

Here’s the process: You call a line standing service and request a line stander. The service will ask you for the location or event, the address, and what time you want the line stander to start standing. Your line stander will hold a placard with your name while holding your space. When you arrive, show the stander your ID or business card, and trade places.

So how long should your line stander stand? Standers do not guarantee admission, so the answer depends on how badly you want to hear oral arguments and what time you’re willing to show up to relieve the stander. Seating for the first oral argument begins at 9:30 a.m. We recommend requesting a line stander to start at least 12 hours before seating.