Pre-Order: You paid for a phone. You had the option to have it shipped to your door (most people did this obviously). You could go pick it up if you want but why would you do that, anyone who has paid attention to Apple releases for the past 4 years knows the lines are insanely long. Thus the shipping option.
Reservation: You haven't paid Apple a DIME. You simply reserved a phone. You get to show up and wait for a phone on a first come, first serve basis, but you are guaranteed to get one if you do. You know what you're getting yourself into. The long lines were a result of each activation taking anywhere from 5 - 15 minutes because of the micro-sim change.
Walk-Ups: You didn't pre-order and you didn't get a reservation in time. You decided to camp over night for a phone. You obviously knew exactly what you were getting yourself into.
As for the waiting in line experience itself: Apple extended store hours into the wee hours to fill all reserved phones. Apple paid for free drinks and free food to be handed out the entire time. I could have eaten a dozen chicken sandwiches if I had wanted them. I met a bunch of cool people while waiting, it wasn't a bad experience in any way other then the actual waiting... which I knew was the case when I got in my car to head to the Apple store.
Apple didn't force anyone to wait in a line. This is absolutely absurd.