How hard would it be to have machines that sell tickets? I am an infrequent rider (live in Lakeview), so I don't have a monthly or a 10 ride. I got to NW station 10 minutes before a perfect express run for me, but had to wait 15 minutes in line to get a damned ticket.
I assume you know you can buy a ticket from a conductor for a $2 fee (which they waive for me on the Electric Line if the machines are broken, [which they often are and there's no human ticket seller here], so I bet they would if you told them the line was too long).
Unless things are different on your Line.