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$50 laptop sale sets off violent stampede (People trampled, beaten with folding chairs
MSNBC ^ | Aug 15, 2995 | AP

Posted on 08/16/2005 3:28:45 PM PDT by I still care

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A crowd rushes through as the gates are opened at the Richmond International Raceway complex in Richmond, Va., Tuesday. All were hoping to get a used Apple iBook for $50.

1 posted on 08/16/2005 3:28:47 PM PDT by I still care
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To: I still care

Cabbage Patch Kids.


2 posted on 08/16/2005 3:30:46 PM PDT by mtbopfuyn (Legality does not dictate morality... Lavin)
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To: I still care

I guess $50 was not the market-clearing price.


3 posted on 08/16/2005 3:30:49 PM PDT by Neanderthal
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To: I still care

LOL!

Look at blue shirt sandel guy. I have a feeling he got one.


4 posted on 08/16/2005 3:32:08 PM PDT by Gator101
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To: I still care; windcliff

Stampede.


5 posted on 08/16/2005 3:32:15 PM PDT by I Drive Too Fast
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To: I still care

Selling 4 year old laptops. No wonder school taxes are so high. They could have given them to our school since our district can't afford those we were promised two years ago.


6 posted on 08/16/2005 3:32:27 PM PDT by mtbopfuyn (Legality does not dictate morality... Lavin)
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To: I still care

Check out the video on site. Looks a little frightening.


7 posted on 08/16/2005 3:32:32 PM PDT by I still care (America is not the problem - it is the solution..)
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To: I still care

Step on a kook all for a used IBook.


8 posted on 08/16/2005 3:32:40 PM PDT by since1868
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To: I still care

At least these laptops won't get the ZOTOB virus...


9 posted on 08/16/2005 3:32:57 PM PDT by CheneyChick
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To: Neanderthal

Yeah they could have probably gotten $75 each easily.


10 posted on 08/16/2005 3:33:03 PM PDT by VRWCmember
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To: I still care

The Henrico County school system was selling 1,000 of the computers to county residents.



More government-employee geniuses who have trouble with free-market economics.

Injuries suffered, liability incurred, and far less revenue raised than if they hired a geek to put them on eBay.


11 posted on 08/16/2005 3:34:06 PM PDT by Atlas Sneezed (Your FRiendly FReeper Patent Attorney)
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To: I still care

Lots 'o Lawsuits to follow, I'm guessing.


12 posted on 08/16/2005 3:34:18 PM PDT by WestTexasWend
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To: I still care

animals.


13 posted on 08/16/2005 3:36:16 PM PDT by jw777
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To: I still care
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.

Sounds like a PC sale at the ECW arena!

14 posted on 08/16/2005 3:36:24 PM PDT by GreenHornet
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To: Beelzebubba

"Injuries suffered, liability incurred, and far less revenue raised than if they hired a geek to put them on eBay."

They were free, the government provided them, so that fifty bucks was all profit. They were just trying to help out the community by offering them for fifty bucks. Only a heartless conservative would have put them on ebay to price them out of the hands of the poor.

(How'd that sound?)


15 posted on 08/16/2005 3:37:13 PM PDT by kenth
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To: I still care

Reading this, I thought what country was this in? I'm disappointed to see it was here.


16 posted on 08/16/2005 3:39:50 PM PDT by BipolarBob (Yes I backed over the vampire, but I swear I didn't see it in my rearview mirror.)
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To: WestTexasWend

Speaking as a Henrico County taxpayer, we're going to end up being the losers in all this. The county only received $50,000 for the sale--1,000 laptops at a flat $50 per. Take out the expense for the rental of a facility at RIR, the advertising that was done, the time spent by the school system personnel to process the sale, the FIVE off-duty cops hired for security and the 40 more that had to get called in, including police in riot gear...and then add on the probable lawsuits that the county will have to deal with because the whole operation was a total and complete cluster-youknowwhat. Think $50k will cover all that? Me neither.

My wife tried to go out there and wisely turned around; my boss was out there shortly after 5:00 am and swears there were already thousands of people there. The estimate being thrown around now is 5,500, but some official sources say that 11,000 to 12,000 might be closer.

And the worst part? It could've been a WORSE circus. The county Board of Supervisors actually changed the law a few weeks ago so that only Henrico County residents and/or taxpayers could buy the laptops. You had to have proof of residency before you could plunk down your $50 and walk off with a four-year-old, hard-traveled iBook. Before that, there were no restrictions except "one per person"; Apple message boards were humming with people talking about driving hours, or even flying cross-country, to come here and get one of the things. And they originally planned to do the sale at their county warehouse. Trying to cram 5,500 people down there *would* have caused a riot, a real one.

This was the miniature version of what might've been. Not that it isn't bad enough, mind you. Right now, I'm embarassed to admit that I live here.

}:-)4


17 posted on 08/16/2005 3:41:50 PM PDT by Moose4 (Newsflash: It's the South. In the summer. IT GETS HOT. DEAL WITH IT.)
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To: kenth
They were just trying to help out the community by offering them for fifty bucks.

Stop by the neighborhood pawn shops tomorrow and see how many 4 year-old Apple iBooks are for sale.

18 posted on 08/16/2005 3:42:21 PM PDT by Drew68
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To: I still care; EdReform; Southack

Wealth redistribution by bureacrats. 'Twasn't their money to give away...

Typical stewardship at government agencies!


19 posted on 08/16/2005 3:43:45 PM PDT by The Spirit Of Allegiance (SAVE THE BRAINFOREST! Boycott the RED Dead Tree Media & NUKE the DNC Class Action Temper Tantrum!)
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To: kenth
"How'd that sound?"

That was excellent, you had me going into ZOT mode. Lucky for you, I called off the kitty snipers at the last second.


20 posted on 08/16/2005 3:44:22 PM PDT by varyouga
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