Is it ethical to hire a person to hold a place in line?

Of course it's cheating. So is going to a private clinic instead of the NHS. So is the use of a dog walker or nanny. Money makes life easier for people who have it.
But then, pretty girls get men to do things for them, celebrities always get a table no matter how crowded the restaurant, policemen get free doughnuts.

People use money and social assets to their own advantage. It's natural enough and generally accepted. It's not unethical unless it's done underhandedly, outside the rules of law and social mores.
The people in line behind a stand-in are not disadvantaged: their position is exactly the same as if the ticket-holder had been occupying that place.

Quoting TiredThinker

it implies that a person can literally exchange money for free time which might not be possible for most socioeconomic classes

Isn't that the definition of employment?
They presumably accept economic disparity and all the advantages money can buy. This is just one more service they themselves can't afford.

Who knows. Perhaps they wouldn't wait in line at all if they couldn't pay someone to do it for them.

It would take a lot of money to persuade me to wait in a queue for someone. I can hardly wait in a queue for myself. I miss so many things owing to my fear of queues.

I should just start saying "line" cos writing "queue" is getting tiresome.

Don't see much of an issue paying to have someone stand in line for you.

What if hiring someone to stand in line is a way to circumvent a rule of 1 product per customer. The entire line could be stand-ins for a single person. The scalper could take that product and then sell it at a higher price elsewhere. But this is more about organized queuing conspiracies hidden in plain sight.

If Trump had body doubles, they would be standing in three or four different docks in three or four different courts at the same time. But maybe he's too vain or not rich enough.

Reply to Vera Mont

You've struck a wonderful or terrible idea. We've all heard of the phenomenon of Santacon. Folks could develop a Trump version of that, TrumpCon. We could all get away with committing crimes and avoiding jail time, so long as we become indistinguishable from Trump himself.

If we all raided Trump tower as Trump, they would have to let us into the penthouse.

Quoting Nils Loc

If we all raided Trump tower as Trump, they would have to let us into the penthouse.

Getting the mannerisms down pat shouldn't be a problem. I imagine we're all doing it now, since Microsoft keeps throwing that stupid screen overlay in front of our faces. In the last three months, there has one day - one! - when it didn't have any pictures of that face.

At some places, they have you take a number and wait for it to be called. My idea, and it's a good one, is to get there early in the morning and take all the numbers. I then wpuld sell them to customers who come in, with the higher prices going for the lower numbers.

My other Idea, again a good one, is to take the best parking spots at the most crowded stores and to offer to leave for a price.

I call my business "Dickhead."

Quoting TiredThinker

it feels like it implies that a person can literally exchange money for free time which might not be possible for most socioeconomic classes

Not everyone can afford it, therefore...?

Quoting TiredThinker

...when they arrive still makes a person feel cheated

Why do they feel cheated?

My thought is that there is nothing wrong with it. Issues only arise when no substitution is taking place.

Quoting Hanover

My other Idea, again a good one, is to take the best parking spots at the most crowded stores and to offer to leave for a price.

How long would you have to run this scam to recoup the cost of all those cars?

Quoting Vera Mont

How long would you have to run this scam to recoup the cost of all those cars?

The cars are decoys, easily maneuvered with a centralized pully system fully operated remotely by internet from my hidden headquarters, allowing multiple parking lot locations to be take advantage of at once. Duh.

I'd like to see the schematics.

Quoting TiredThinker

but then seeing the actual person switch places when they arrive still makes a person feel cheated. Any thoughts?

It's called social fairness. Queuing is still one of the most basic display of equality in society -- especially in places like public services (getting your license, applying for something, etc.) Of course we now have appointments you can make online so that when you get to the location, all you need to do is check in.
But, let's stick to the old ways of getting in line. Individuals standing in line is supposed to stand in line.