Canberrans organise activities to do while waiting for a Covid test at EPIC

So how have Canberrans or Ken Behrens, take your pick, been whiling away the hours inching forward in the line at Exhibition Park in Canberra and other testing sites?

Cook teacher Keah Woodgate was certainly productive during her six-hour wait for a test at EPIC on Tuesday.

She knitted a beanie - from start to finish.

The 31-year-old teacher at Hawker College also did some marking.

Keah said some people napped in their cars. Others chatted to each other. From a safe distance. Masked. As they were waiting for the toilet.

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"I chatted to a few people. They were using laptops and doing work," Keah said.

"One lady said she was pretending she was on a long-haul flight, and we tried to work out where we could have gotten to in the time we'd spent queuing.

"The staff dropped us off some Arnott's biscuits a few hours in which was also very thoughtful because I hadn't packed for a full day's wait."

In the end, there was good news: her test was negative.

Australian National University school manager Suzy Andrew reported direct from the queue at EPIC on Wednesday.

She arrived for her test at 8am and by 1.30pm was in "the next batch for testing".

Suzy was well prepared in her "car fort", a towel over the window blocking out the sun; Netflix and coffee keeping her fortified.

She was in good spirits despite the wait.

"The guys out here are doing a great job! Really organised. Thank you #kenbehrens!!" she wrote in an email to The Canberra Times.

And do spare a thought for The Canberra Times reporter Toby Vue, who went through quite the ordeal on Tuesday.

He got to EPIC just before 9am and got his test about six hours later, packing a picnic and his laptop to help pass the time.

"About five hours in, I decided to close my eyes and didn't set alarms, thinking it'll just be a light nap," he said.

"But when my line began to move, a security guard knocked on my window to wake me up.

"Then of course my five-year-old car wouldn't start. Was watching other drivers pass by and hoping I didn't have to wait another six hours.

"Luckily, I had jumper cables and the first driver in another line I asked for help was more than happy to. It was a family and they had their spot reserved.

"With the cables, it just wasn't starting for a while. We all almost gave up and when one guard suggested I call roadside assistance, I tried one last time and it came to life."

Toby said he hadn't been idling his car at all.

"Then I saw that another person in the back of my line had the same issue. So I gave my jumper cables to one of the guards to help them," he said.

Toby wanted to thank the family who spared their time to help him in what was a very collegial atmosphere in the line.

"Everyone was orderly and following the rules despite the long times. The medical staff who tested me thanked me for my patience but I told him it should be us thanking them," he said

Tell us what you're doing in the line for a Covid test. Are you having an in-car picnic, playing cards, doing some work?

Let us know and send us a photograph at megan.doherty@canberratimes.com.au

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