Laptop sale causes violence - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

Xazy · 08-16-2005, 11:04 AM

Panic insued when a laptop sale happened.. http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/08/16/com....ap/index.html

Quote:

Panic ensues in rush for cheap laptops

RICHMOND, Virginia (AP) -- 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 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.

More than 1,000 people turned out at the Richmond International Raceway in hopes of getting their hands on one of the 4-year-old Apple iBooks, which retail for between $999 and $1,299. The Henrico County school system was selling 1,000 of the computers to county residents.

Officials opened the gates at 7 a.m., but some already had been waiting for hours in line. 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.

Police would not immediately comment on the number of or extent of injuries, though witnesses said they mostly had scrapes and bruises.

"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.

maleficent · 08-16-2005, 11:06 AM

Quote:

"But I think that people tend to get caught up in the excitement of the event -- it almost has an entertainment value."

True enough... but for the guy running the sale, you know those words are gonna come back to haunt him...

a four year old laptop? That pretty much a paperweight? make anything cheap enough and people will wait in line and buy it.

lurkette · 08-16-2005, 11:07 AM

Holy crap. I can't say I'm really surprised, after seeing parents come to fisticuffs over Cabbage Patch Kids, and having people get crushed over $39 DVDs at WalMart on the day after Thanksgiving. I guess the prospect of getting a $1000 laptop for $50 is pretty exciting, but honestly. You'd think the people selling them would have thought things out more thoroughly and come up with some kind of orderly system. If only we anal-retentive Virgo Type-A organizers ruled the world...

shesus · 08-16-2005, 11:28 AM

When I first starting reading the article, I was expecting the setting to be Wal-Mart

People are completely insane sometimes. Instances like this make me realize that we really aren't that far evolved. We still act like enraged animals in certain situations.

shesus · 08-16-2005, 11:31 AM

I just noticed this quote, does it sound to anyone else like this guy is hypnotized by his new bargain?

Quote:

"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.

ratbastid · 08-16-2005, 11:31 AM

Yeah, when I heard about that sale, I had a hunch there'd be trouble.

Cuatela · 08-16-2005, 11:44 AM

Why would I want a 4-year old notebook for $50 when I just bought a new one?

cyrnel · 08-16-2005, 12:57 PM

Here's a pic of the fiasco linked to boingboing:
<a href="http://www.boingboing.net/2005/08/16/ibook_stampede.html"><img src="http://www.boingboing.net/Picture%205-8.jpg"></a>

Pragma · 08-16-2005, 01:23 PM

For 50$, I'd be willing to buy an old iBook. You can always toss a copy of FreeBSD or Linux on it and use it for whatever purpose. So it may not be in the best quality, it's still a good deal.

However, I can't help but laughing at some of the quotes from that article. I'd almost loved to have seen it, just so I could stand there and laugh at how people can get so emotional and messed up over something like a cheap computer.

Bratwurst · 08-16-2005, 01:25 PM

Here's another article, my favorite part is at the end where they have a help desk setup for people to call in. "uh, all you a-holes who trampled people, call in tonight at 6pm and we'll help you setup your email profiles"

Quote:

What started as a sale turned into a mob scene as thousands of people pushed their way through the Richmond International Raceway gates to buy a $50 iBook laptop computer from Henrico County Schools this morning. The school district had only 1,000 of these surplus computers to sell, and Henrico County residents got first dibs.

Starletta Wilson came to the sale but when the gates opened at 7 a.m., chaos broke out.

“Yeah, they pushed me, look at my child's stroller... they actually pushed me and stampeded over me. Those people who are down there now were behind us," Wilson said.

Dustin Coppinger, who attended the sale, said he saw an older man get trampled.

"An old man in a walker was trampled to the ground. Trampled to the ground... walked all over," he said.

Dozens more were pushed to the ground as the crowd races through the gates.

A one-year-old baby almost became a victim. Her father pulled her out of her stroller.

"Look at her stroller. Her stroller's demolished. Look at my stroller,” said Wilson.

Alice Jemerson was one victim who got trampled.

"Look at my knees. They ran on top of me. I just starting kicking the people," she said.

A man who had been standing in line since 2 a.m. came to Jemerson’s rescue. Bair Hossai was almost guaranteed to get one of the coveted computers.

"I'm not going to leave somebody who's hurt. It's not worth it. I could have been in the line, but I'm not going to do it, because it's not worth it," Hossai said.

NBC12 will have Apple iBook experts in the Call12 Center tonight from 5-6:30 p.m. to answer all of you iBook questions. Call tonight, 345-1212.

http://www.wwbt.com/servlet/Satellit...=1031784465955

Siege · 08-16-2005, 02:31 PM

And I thought getting gas at 5 cents off per litre was bad.

I try my best to avoid such sales. It just isn't worth it most of the time.

Lwang9276 · 08-16-2005, 02:49 PM

dang this is scary, I read this deal on fatwallet or slickdeals, but dang this is nuts. 50 bucks is a good price for a laptop but it aint worth my life. lol

Psycho Dad · 08-16-2005, 03:18 PM

A 4 year old laptop retails between $999 and $1,299? Granted I am unfamiliar with Apples but that seems steep to me. And if they were worth anywhere near that, I would be pissed as hell at my school district letting them go for 50 bucks.

maleficent · 08-16-2005, 03:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Psycho Dad

A 4 year old laptop retails between $999 and $1,299? Granted I am unfamiliar with Apples but that seems steep to me. And if they were worth anywhere near that, I would be pissed as hell at my school district letting them go for 50 bucks.

I think new they might have been that price-- thinkint it's an Ibook - it was probably one of those clamshells that came in the pretty colors... I dont think they were all that expensive to begin with...

But that's a lot of laptops that they got rid of. come to think of it.. were they given to students? Why would a school district need so many?

MSD · 08-16-2005, 04:41 PM

"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.

Looks like someone is a PC/X86 guy.

Misz · 08-16-2005, 04:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Xazy

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.

Iam shocked that someone would go that far for something like that.
The thought of the hole thing almost makes me want to be sick.

Ronin Tetsuro · 08-16-2005, 08:18 PM

Let's see:

Let some grade schoolers get notebooks to learn computers and whatnot

or

Let asshats who know jack about computers get in line to damn near trample each other

I'd be willing to bet that the majority of those people saw '$50' and 'computer' in one sentence and didn't need to see anymore. Results would have been the same if it had been P3's out there.

Gilda · 08-16-2005, 10:08 PM

Some better off school discricts will issue laptops to all of thier students. When getting a new set, it's pretty commonplace to sell them at a token price to help offset the purchase price of the new set.

When I got my PS2, well, one of them anyway (I actually got six on the first day and sold five of them) the one I got from a store where I didn't pre-order I stood in line, and one of the clerks came out and gave everyone a priority ticket (I was #36) and when they'd handed out enough to cover their inventory, sent everyone home. This is what you do when there's a big crowd.

I saw the crowds for the $39 Apex DVD players at Wal Mart on the news. I don't go shopping the day after Thanksgiving, and it's mob induced stupidity like that in this article that is the reason why. I hope the chair guy gets arrested for assault.

Gilda

08-16-2005, 11:07 AM	#3 (permalink)
lurkette My future is coming on Moderator Emeritus Location: east of the sun and west of the moon	Holy crap. I can't say I'm really surprised, after seeing parents come to fisticuffs over Cabbage Patch Kids, and having people get crushed over $39 DVDs at WalMart on the day after Thanksgiving. I guess the prospect of getting a $1000 laptop for $50 is pretty exciting, but honestly. You'd think the people selling them would have thought things out more thoroughly and come up with some kind of orderly system. If only we anal-retentive Virgo Type-A organizers ruled the world... __________________ "If ten million people believe a foolish thing, it is still a foolish thing." - Anatole France

08-16-2005, 11:28 AM	#4 (permalink)
shesus Fancy Location: Chicago	When I first starting reading the article, I was expecting the setting to be Wal-Mart People are completely insane sometimes. Instances like this make me realize that we really aren't that far evolved. We still act like enraged animals in certain situations. __________________ Whatever did happen to your soul? I heard you sold it Choose Heaven for the weather and Hell for the company

08-16-2005, 11:44 AM	#7 (permalink)
Cuatela Insane Location: NC, USA	Why would I want a 4-year old notebook for $50 when I just bought a new one? __________________ Any sarcasm was intentional.

08-16-2005, 12:57 PM	#8 (permalink)
cyrnel Adequate Location: In my angry-dome.	Here's a pic of the fiasco linked to boingboing: <a href="http://www.boingboing.net/2005/08/16/ibook_stampede.html"><img src="http://www.boingboing.net/Picture%205-8.jpg"></a> __________________ There are a vast number of people who are uninformed and heavily propagandized, but fundamentally decent. The propaganda that inundates them is effective when unchallenged, but much of it goes only skin deep. If they can be brought to raise questions and apply their decent instincts and basic intelligence, many people quickly escape the confines of the doctrinal system and are willing to do something to help others who are really suffering and oppressed." -Manufacturing Consent: Noam Chomsky and the Media, p. 195

08-16-2005, 02:31 PM	#11 (permalink)
Siege is a tiger Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada	And I thought getting gas at 5 cents off per litre was bad. I try my best to avoid such sales. It just isn't worth it most of the time. __________________ "Your name's Geek? Do you know the origin of the term? A geek is someone who bites the heads off chickens at a circus. I would never let you suck my dick with a name like Geek" --Kevin Smith This part just makes my posts easier to find

08-16-2005, 11:31 AM	#6 (permalink)
ratbastid Darth Papa Location: Yonder	Yeah, when I heard about that sale, I had a hunch there'd be trouble.

08-16-2005, 01:23 PM	#9 (permalink)
Pragma I am Winter Born Location: Alexandria, VA	For 50$, I'd be willing to buy an old iBook. You can always toss a copy of FreeBSD or Linux on it and use it for whatever purpose. So it may not be in the best quality, it's still a good deal. However, I can't help but laughing at some of the quotes from that article. I'd almost loved to have seen it, just so I could stand there and laugh at how people can get so emotional and messed up over something like a cheap computer.

08-16-2005, 02:49 PM	#12 (permalink)
Lwang9276 Crazy	dang this is scary, I read this deal on fatwallet or slickdeals, but dang this is nuts. 50 bucks is a good price for a laptop but it aint worth my life. lol

08-16-2005, 03:18 PM	#13 (permalink)
Psycho Dad Mulletproof Location: Some nucking fut house.	A 4 year old laptop retails between $999 and $1,299? Granted I am unfamiliar with Apples but that seems steep to me. And if they were worth anywhere near that, I would be pissed as hell at my school district letting them go for 50 bucks. __________________ Don't always trust the opinions of experts.

08-16-2005, 04:41 PM	#15 (permalink)
MSD The sky calls to us ... Super Moderator Location: CT	"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. Looks like someone is a PC/X86 guy.

08-16-2005, 08:18 PM	#17 (permalink)
Ronin Tetsuro Upright	Let's see: Let some grade schoolers get notebooks to learn computers and whatnot or Let asshats who know jack about computers get in line to damn near trample each other I'd be willing to bet that the majority of those people saw '$50' and 'computer' in one sentence and didn't need to see anymore. Results would have been the same if it had been P3's out there. __________________ The best stories are the ones I can never tell.

08-16-2005, 10:08 PM	#18 (permalink)
Gilda 32 flavors and then some Location: Out on a wire.	Some better off school discricts will issue laptops to all of thier students. When getting a new set, it's pretty commonplace to sell them at a token price to help offset the purchase price of the new set. When I got my PS2, well, one of them anyway (I actually got six on the first day and sold five of them) the one I got from a store where I didn't pre-order I stood in line, and one of the clerks came out and gave everyone a priority ticket (I was #36) and when they'd handed out enough to cover their inventory, sent everyone home. This is what you do when there's a big crowd. I saw the crowds for the $39 Apex DVD players at Wal Mart on the news. I don't go shopping the day after Thanksgiving, and it's mob induced stupidity like that in this article that is the reason why. I hope the chair guy gets arrested for assault. Gilda __________________ I'm against ending blackness. I believe that everyone has a right to be black, it's a choice, and I support that. ~Steven Colbert