No, that’s not yet another shipping line fighting off Somali pirates. These are the lineups outside vaccination clinics that have been created by the anxiety over the “pig-plague”, as Brian likes to call it.
Now people have been waiting for hours and hours in these lines, and the media is beginning to report on this ad-nauseum as well. I do have a few thoughts on how to deal with these long line-ups. One would be to get the government to be more organized and efficient – which of course will never happen, as Newton proved mathematically long ago with his Law of Inertia.
Better would be to have someone run out of the clinic arms raised in the air in praise crying “I’m immune! I’m immune!” – and then promptly fall down as if dead. Or you could casually sidle up to one of the thicker parts of the line and point out “You do know of course that this is the ebola line.”
Or get in line and start up a conversation. Inevitably when someone asks if you are there for your flu shot, say “Oh yes, this is my third. Can’t be too careful.” This is especially effective if there are rumours of shortages.
A personal favourite is getting a few small groups of people together to start lines outside other buildings while spreading rumours that more clinics have opened. Once robust lines form here as well, your small groups move off leaving the lines behind and start new ones. (Imagine the surprise of would be inoculants when they offered coffee and donuts instead of vaccine.)
That should clear things up a little.
