When I picked up my permit on the 14th around lunch time, a woman was taking people out of line to who were just there for permits.
The line was to the second pillar, and I asked her if it was that bad all the time, and she said, "yeah, everyday!"
When I registered my lower, I was there at 7:20 and was the 9th person in line. By the time the office opened, there were 15 more people in back of me. Crazy!