When Bargain Hunters Attack

$50 iBook + 1,000+ potential buyers = iRiot!

Published on August 16, 2005 By Zoomba In Current Events

Ok, I'm sure a bunch of you read Dr. Guy's posts about the school district in Virginia that was selling off its entire stock of used iBooks to the public at $50.00 a piece. Well, the sale took place finally, and total chaos followed.

I'm sure that's not what you expected to hear about a used computer sale.

From the CNN.Com article:
"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."
...
"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."

People were rioting, stampeeding, throwing old men to the ground and pissing on themselves over a LAPTOP! I know $50 is a great deal for a perfectly usable laptop, but please people, it's not worth physical injury.

I can just see the ad promo now on Fox for a new show to follow Cops... When Bargain Hunters Attack

You guys scare the crap out of me.

Comments

Manopeace

on Aug 16, 2005

sounds like its right out of a TV sitcom....

Zoomba

on Aug 16, 2005

Yeah, it's something I'd expect to see on MadTV or SNL as they parrody computer geeks or something. This was a bunch of seemingly normal people

Manopeace

on Aug 16, 2005

I'd expect to see on MadTV or SNL

Maybe it was Candid Camera shooting?

dharmagrl

on Aug 16, 2005

Reminds me of the Cabbage Patch doll and the Furby craze. As I recall people were knocking each other down, punching, clawing and biting each other to get one of those ugly ass dollies or a stupid taking ball of fluff.

Just goes to show the power of large groups of stupid people....

Moderateman

on Aug 16, 2005

and do not forget the BEANIE BABY craze, those women would kill a gorrilla in the crush to get thew beanie of their choice. scarey.

Dr Guy

on Aug 16, 2005

Check out this link. It has pictures.

http://www.timesdispatch.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=RTD%2FMGArticle%2FRTD_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1031784469916&path=%21news&s=1063629688048

And this, as I did not see your article before I wrote my own.

http://drguy.joeuser.com/index.asp?aid=83807

Dr Guy

on Aug 16, 2005

Reminds me of the Cabbage Patch doll and the Furby craze.

I worked for Retail then. I heard a lot more stories than the general Public did! There was also the Simon, Newton, PS2 and other just as bad crazes.

msladydeath

on Aug 16, 2005

Thank God they don't get that frenzied around here. Well, Teanie Beanie Babys sucked big time, I worked at McDonald's the entire time they had those dreaded things. Could only buy them with a happy meal, so there were all these people buying 10 hamberger happy meals, keeping a drink or 2, maybe some of the food, but most went in the trash. The Rescue Mission thankfully set up vans and would take so much of the food (only what would be eaten on short order) and we got to the point that we would just write down what we should give them, and if the person didn't want the food, we would write it down and not make it till the Mission needed it. It was insane, I hated it, and I only missed the last one cause I went into labor the night before, I was supposed to work the first day of it. *L*

PS2 was civilized here, everyone stood nicely in line, let people use the restroom and whatnot without loosing their place in line, stuff like that. Same with Harry Potter.

It's that Darn Black Friday that gets me every year, and I refuse to go anywhere near Walmart during that since they don't even bother to shut their doors. There are people that come in at 10pm the night before and just "hang out" in Walmart till the sale starts, and get really mad at the McDonald's crew for not being open till 8 am.

$50 laptops, they need to do that as a fundraiser auction or the lottory or something, that was just stupid.

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