I live in the Simi Valley library area - and the lines were 8 - 10 hours long. He might have won some hearts and minds if he stayed in the line with the rest of the people. (I did NOT stay in the line).
The cutting in line part didn't bother me as much as the fact that he brought a damned photographer with him. That just made it clear that he was only there for the photo-op, and with that the cutting in line was intolerable, seeing as (like you said) people waited all day in line to pay genuine respects to President Reagan.