It sounds to me like Michael just had one of "those days" at UPS. Lines will never go any faster than the slowest person ahead of you. You can have 20 people in line, and none of them need anything "special," they're all paying exact change or a "good" credit card, the packaging is perfect, and all is well - and 20 people will be in and out in 25 minutes.
You can also have three people in line, but the guy at the counter had problems sealing his packaging and refuses to leave the line to fix it and wants tape so he can fix it right there. Then he forgets to fill out the form, so the counter clerk has to do it for him. Then he realizes he had the zip code wrong, and has to do it over again. Then the customer complains about the price until he realizes he asked for the wrong type of shipment, and has to fill it all over again - again. Then his credit card wasn't a credit card at all, it was a debit card and he doesn't remember his PIN. So he has to fish out the right card, and has trouble finding it, because he put it in the other pocket when he paid for something at the supermarket an hour ago.
Meanwhile - the line is getting longer and longer and longer, and that one guy behind the customer at the counter has already waited 15 minutes.
Turns out the guy at the back of this new line that exists because the first guy had all these problems, will discover that 3 other people in line ahead of him will need special care - so HIS wait will now be 45 minutes to an hour.
It happens. It's not a daily occurrence, but it does happen.
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