3m,
Yup that can happen, but at a 'fair' airport you wait some days and go to the front of the queue on others. When thats the case, I don't worry knowing that ATC are just trying to maintain traffic flow.
What Blackball describes happens daily at FCO and other airfields. I'm not going to say all Italian airfields because I have been 'helped' at many and I thank those ATC'ers. But at FCO its pretty similar on most visits!
Blackball! After all these years how come you are only just getting frustrated? Is the BB punctuality record suffering so that you only arrive on time rather than 20 mins early every time! Hope you are well....Live at the barbers....