Va. Laptop Sale Turns Into a Stampede

[thecrow]

Aug 16, 1:44 PM (ET)

By KRISTEN GELINEAU

RICHMOND, Va. (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.

more: http://apnews.excite.com/article/20050816/D8C12C5G0.html

[LifeDuringWartime]

1. pretty sick of the people in line

and pretty stupid of the school? i'm sure they won't be doing it again

[KyndCulture]

2. LMAO - beaten with folding chairs...

thanks for the laugh I needed that.

[Politicub]

9. Any video of the folding chair incident?

I know it was bad for the victim, but reading it in an AP story is hilarious!

:rofl:

[Kittycat]

11. Another Wrestlemania Event. PPV Coming Soon

:rofl:

[Politicub]

13. And here is a great quote from the weilder of said chair...

"I took my chair here and I threw it over my shoulder and I went, 'Bam'. I hit the bitch.", 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.

:rofl:

[nookiemonster]

16. Now that's money well spent!

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

Folding fucking chairs!!

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[boredofeducation]

29. Maybe

Maybe it's the same kid that kicked the girl that was down on the ground at the Republican National convention last year. They caught that little snot right on camera.

[hatrack]

3. Wow, and it wasn't even Christmas!

Usually it's people getting mauled for a Tickle Me Elmo or whatever stupid shit we're informed we must have or be worthless by the Shiny TV People.

[arwalden]

4. Ebay Is Our Friend

[meganmonkey]

5. I might be willing to pee my pants for a $50 iBook!!

Although I draw the line at violence ;)

[soothsayer]

17. I might be willing to pee on your pants for a $50 iBook!

[VegasWolf]

25. Might!!! :)

:spank:

[meganmonkey]

26. I was just being modest

Hell, I'd pee my pants just for fun! Who am I kidding?

[lockdown]

6. It was Homeland Security

desperately looking for new leads. They're running out of found-on-laptop alerts.

[alphafemale]

7. Numbers should be issued in the order people arrive

...for something like this.

Or some type of lotty.

Those willing to assault others should never triumph.

[toopers]

8. Sounds like they sold the computers too cheaply.

Oh well!

[Boomer]

10. Preview of the Hell to come

If this is what happens when a bunch of used computers are put up for sale, what kind of scenes will develop when Americans are lining up for food and water rations?

Look forward to THAT riot in some 5-10 years, when climate change gets really extreme.

[Syncronaut Seven]

15. 3 years, max.

Sooner than you think.

[Boomer]

20. I wouldn't be surprised

But if you voice any skepticism of the long-term projections that put it off for decades, you're labeled a whacko doomsday freak.

Hope they're right, 'cause if you and I are right it's going to be a rough ride to the bottom. I won't see the end of it, but then I don't particularly WANT to live in Mad Max world.

[brentspeak]

22. A few years ago where I live, a Nor'easter blew out all the power

in much of northern New Jersey and southern New York (NYC excluded, though) for almost two days. That meant no traffic lights and no stores open.

At intersections where street lights ordinarily would be, 99 out of every 100 drivers refused, completely refused, to practice courteous turning procedures. People turning left would refuse to heed the people turning right, and vice-versa. It was like everybody panicked simultaneously. And police had to be called to several closed supermarkets because actual suburban residents tried to force their way inside.

Oh, yeah. This country would definitely descend into complete chaos if a real catastrophe occured. I wish we were like the people of London, stoic, cheerful, and disciplined during times of crisis.

[Blue_Tires]

27. coughcough*PEAK OIL*coughcough

the future riots at your local Exxon will make this look like a sunday school brunch

[Javaman]

12. a 4 year old iBook??????

damn in the computer world, that's the equivalent of cave painting.
That's why they are 50 bucks. Old system, slow as molasses, knock yourself out folks (pun intended).

[mikeytherat]

14. This whole thing was a clusterf**k from the get-go

The plan was first to sell them to the general population, then just the students who had leased them, then just the folks in the Henrico County School System. Everyone was pissed about not getting a shot at one of the laptops, and the school system underestimated the demand for $50 laptops.

Soon, demand got so big they had to move the sale to RIR (Richmond International Raceway); I knew it was going to be a Cabbage Patch/Tickle Me Elmo stampede. It was.

Remember this is Richmond; when we do it wrong, we do it big (I love my town, though).

mikey_the_rat

[livinginphotographs]

18. "When we do it wrong, we do it big."

Richmonder here. Well said. :thumbsup:

[magnolia]

19. As a Richmonder...

...I apologize for my fellow residents! Sheesh...how embarrassing!

(I bet the situation in Israel with the Jews being evicted from Gaza will be more peaceful than this!)

[brentspeak]

21. It read like an article from "The Onion"

Truth is stranger than fiction.

[progressivebydesign]

23. And then all turn around and sell them for 400 bux. n/t

[dad]

24. Why .. in this day and age ..

couldn't they figure out that they'd make more money selling them on ebay???

[anotherdrew]

28. jeez, I wouldn't want one if they gave me $50

I wonder if they got any reinstall CDs or anything?

[tonekat]

30. Another example of classy Americans

Somehow, the term "competitive" got greenlighted...and people actually started believing you have to act like a jerk to be successful...just like those soap opera stars they watch.