iPhone Launch: Granny Sneaks in to return her iMac
Posted 1 year, 4 months ago at 7:48 pm. 0 comments
Posted in Apple, iPhone Launch.
I took a trip to see history in the making… well maybe not history, just overzealous consumers for an overzealous product. I walked around to see how long the line was. It wasn’t terribly bad but it pretty much had every lined up in a large circle around a fountain. There was a smaller second line for the AT&T store. I’d say about 150 people showed up in line. After a while I took the opportunity to take pictures of those waiting for the launch. We had mostly 20 year old men in line, but very few women. They waited in line for over 2 days just to catch it first. They were kicked out of the mall the night before and lined up outside until it opened again. As we were counting down the last 10 minutes before launch, I stood next to a chatty family.
Everyone was excited but also annoyed that this many people would wait in line just for a phone. We had lots of camera phones going off taking plenty of pictures. I also noted how everyone who walked by the Apple store took out their cellphone just to show some knee jerk sign that they didn’t need one. Teenage girls passed by the line annoyed and commented on how stupid it was. Some skaters near by yelled, "GET READY" just to startle the audience. It was just like an ABC drama filled with different people and their stories. An old lady, I’ll call her Pearly, was ready to return her iMac and waited patiently until the store opened. The parents of one of those in line sat down to take pictures of their son, almost as if they were proud to have a son with an iPhone. It pretty much got obssessive and people began to crowd around trying to catch the final 10 seconds of countdown. Finally the store itself is unveiled as they rip down black construction paper blocking the view from inside.
The doors open and everyone cheers as all the luckiest people in the world get their hands on the iPhone. They soon began pouring in, and we applaud when the first person on line exits. We applaud the 2nd, the 3rd, and the 4th. Then.. whats this? Granny Pearly somehow snuck into the store only to leave with the same iMac box in hand. She’s applauded out of the store as if she won an academy award. Most who got their hands on iPhones were pretty camera shy, I didn’t get really great pictures. But the ice cream lady was nice enough to give me a free coupon just for watching the line.
Granny Sneaks in to return her iMac
More Pics will be added As it Happens!
