[Moose4]

We were going to try and get in on this deal. Basically, the Henrico County (suburban Richmond) school system is dumping a thousand surplus iBooks for $50 each, cash, one per customer, provided you could prove you are a Henrico County resident or taxpayer. The iBooks are older, but probably worth $500 or more, so it's a really good deal.

The lovely and talented Foxfire4 got out of bed at 0600 and hit the road by 0640 to head over to the Raceway/Fairgrounds complex, which is about 20 minutes from us on a normal day. She was back home by 0730. There was a three-mile backup to get into the place. Laburnum Avenue was a parking lot, the traffic reporters were reporting multiple accidents. Traffic was so bad it was backing up onto the Interstates and clogging traffic heading for downtown.

I think they misunderestimated (tm President GWB) the demand for their little giveaway. I have to wonder, considering they're only going to get $50,000 for the deal (1000 laptops x $50 each), after deducting rental of a facility at the raceway, police overtime, emergency crews, and everything else, how much extra are those bargain laptops going to cost me?

}:-)4

[Moose4]

It's ping-a-licious.

}:-)4

[Balding_Eagle]

This whole disposal sale just confirms the accuracy of my tagline.

Hope this doesn't cause a Bond Issue vote in your county Moose!

[Moose4]

Further article on what appears to have been an honest-to-goodness stampede, with some injuries, at the Richmond Times-Disgrace homepage; mash here.

}:-)4

[Leroy S. Mort]

AP version:

Stampede at Computer Sale Injures Several People in Va. Updated: Tuesday, Aug. 16, 2005 - 9:58 AM

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Several people were injured at Richmond International Raceway Tuesday morning as thousands of people rushed to buy used laptops from the Henrico County school system.
The county was offering 1,000 used "I-Books" for $50 each to Henrico residents. Sales were limited to one computer per person.

People began lining up outside the racetrack complex overnight and rushed into the track area when the gates opened at 7 a.m. for the sale, which was scheduled to begin at 9 a.m.

Several people suffered minor injuries in the stampede.

Blandine Alexander, 33, brought her 14-year-old twin sons to stand in line at 4:30 a.m. She told The Associated Press that she saw a mother pushing her daughter in a stroller trampled.

Alexander says a car pushing its way through the crowd at the gate nearly ran several people over.

(sounds like an iRiot...)

[dennisw]

Coulda sold them on eBay via a broker and done much better. What a farce.

[jordan8]

The good news is these will be turning up on eBay in the next few days.

[Polyxene]

I stay away from "bargathons" like this. No deal is worth getting caught in a riot with bargamaniacs! I don't know anything about iBooks, but wouldn't the the technology be out of date and need an upgrade?

[Leroy S. Mort]

Looks like the general public finally determined the price point to move Apple's penetration above 5% (snorts....)

[spower]

This just demonstrates to me how awful humanity really can be. I live an hour away, and had planned to head down before the school system started imposing residency requirements. The local SWAT outfit should have been on the rooftops, picking off anyone who started to push or stampede with a well placed shot.

BEGIN RANT: I'm 32, and my 27 year old sister has a scar on her arm which she obtained when my mother, my sister, and I tried early one morning before X-mas to get in on that Cabbage Patch Doll craze in the 80's. My mother was pushed aside and my sister's arm caught a store shelf and was torn open. END OF RANT.

[Swordmaker]

More Apple Riot news. PING!

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