I know iBooks are hot, but getting oneself injured ? ------------------------------------------------------ Va. Laptop Sale Turns Into a Stampede By KRISTEN GELINEAU, Associated Press Writer 8 minutes ago A rush to purchase $50 used laptops turned into a violent stampede Tuesday, with people getting thrown to the pavement, beaten with a folding chair and nearly driven over. One woman went so far as to wet herself rather than surrender her place in line. "This is total, total chaos," said Latoya Jones, 19, who lost one of her flip-flops in the ordeal and later limped around on the sizzling blacktop with one foot bare. An estimated 5,500 people turned out at the Richmond International Raceway in hopes of getting their hands on one of the 4-year-old Apple iBooks. The Henrico County school system was selling 1,000 of the computers to county residents. New iBooks cost between $999 and $1,299. Officials opened the gates at 7 a.m., but some already had been waiting since 1:30 a.m. When the gates opened, it became a terrifying mob scene. People threw themselves forward, screaming and pushing each other. A little girl's stroller was crushed in the stampede. Witnesses said an elderly man was thrown to the pavement, and someone in a car tried to drive his way through the crowd. Seventeen people suffered minor injuries, with four requiring hospital treatment, Henrico County Battalion Chief Steve Wood said. There were no arrests and the iBooks sold out by 1 p.m. "It's rather strange that we would have such a tremendous response for the purchase of a laptop computer — and laptop computers that probably have less-than- desirable attributes," said Paul Proto, director of general services for Henrico County. "But I think that people tend to get caught up in the excitement of the event — it almost has an entertainment value." Blandine Alexander, 33, said one woman standing in front of her was so desperate to retain her place in line that she urinated on herself. "I've never been in something like that before, and I never again will," said Alexander, who brought her 14-year-old twin boys to the complex at 4:30 a.m. to wait in line. "No matter what the kids want, I already told them I'm not doing that again." Jesse Sandler said he was one of the people pushing forward, using a folding chair he had brought with him to beat back people who tried to cut in front of him. "I took my chair here and I threw it over my shoulder and I went, 'Bam,'" the 20-year-old said nonchalantly, his eyes glued to the screen of his new iBook, as he tapped away on the keyboard at a testing station. "They were getting in front of me and I was there a lot earlier than them, so I thought that it was just," he said. Copyright © 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. Copyright © 2005 Yahoo! Inc. All rights reserved.
This reminds me of when I bought my iBook two weeks ago from the Apple Store in Lenox Square in Atlanta...except they were only offering them tax free...
In the article it says the iBooks are four years old, but then it goes on to say that they retail for $999, which is the price of a new iBook. Were they selling the old iBooks or the new ones?
People are stupid. A 4-year old ibook is probably barely worth $50 bucks. Particularly one that's bounced around a school system for those four years, loaded with all sorts of crap.
Too bad ignorance isn't painful. Those iBooks are only good for surfing the web and sending email at best.
I was ROTFL'inMAO last night while watching the WB news about this. Some lady complained that EVERYONE ALMOST RAN OVER HER BABY AND HER STROLLER WHILE SHE WAS GOING TO GET AN iBOOK IF IT WASN'T FOR HER HUSBAND WHO CAUGHT IT. Uhhh... hello? Why are you taking a baby PLUS a stroller to one of these things??? DUH. She should be on the VONAGE "People do Stupid Things" commercials.
