Hmmm, that seems to be the common case.

Static; light through the trap; baking in the sun; too
cold, x-rays ... and just about everyone can produce a ruined
shot to prove the effect; Condensation -- ?

I can supply one data point:
o I don't wait
o I have never seen condensation in a photo

Is there anyone out there who doesn't wait and/or
does/doesn't have a ruined shot to show?

My guess as to where the recommended defrost
times come from:

 Kodak's stuck a thermocouple into the
 center of a frozen roll of film that is:
   o in the foil/container;
   o in the cardboard box;
   o on an insulating surface;
   o in still air
 and timing how long it takes the inside of the
 roll to warm to ~room temperature.

Another data point, for the cautious: I often
take a 35mm cassette, in its plastic container,
from the freezer and place it in my pocket.
Five minutes later and the cassette feels room
temperature when I remove it to re-load the camera.
I suppose one can follow Polaroid's lead: for
faster working keep the defrosting film in
your arm-pit.