Did the UK not have pre-order for delivery? I had my iPhone 4 a day earlier than they were released in the store, and I never had to wait in any line or even leave the house.
They don't deliver to hotels, so the guy from Norway was out of luck. Some ppl don't have bank cards or don't trust e-commerce security. Some don't want their partners/parents to know they bought a new expensive toy.
For the latter, lets hope they won't be seen on the news or mentioned in these kinds of articles.