It doesn't pay to get there early

I travel frequently with my regular job, and have found it nearly an axiom that when your plane arrives early into the airport, especially Atlanta, your gate is not ready, another plane is in your way, or something else happens to take up the early time so that you are at the gate either on time or late. Happened to me on Sunday night. We took off from Boston about 5 minutes after the scheduled departure! Amazing. We got in 25 minutes ahead of schedule, and we waited and did a couple of laps around the airport before we could get into our gate......, 5 minutes after we were scheduled to be at the gate. The only flights this does not happen for are red eyes west to east. I get my new camera tomorrow.