$50 laptop sale sets off violent stampede (People trampled, beaten with folding chairs

MSNBC ^ | Aug 15, 2995 | AP

[I still care]

RICHMOND, Va. - 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 as 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.

An estimated 5,500 people turned out at the Richmond International Raceway in hopes of getting their hands on one of the 4-year-old Apple iBooks. The Henrico County school system was selling 1,000 of the computers to county residents. New iBooks cost between $999 and $1,299.

Officials opened the gates at 7 a.m., but some already had been waiting since 1:30 a.m. 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.

Seventeen people suffered minor injuries, with four requiring hospital treatment, Henrico County Battalion Chief Steve Wood said. There were no arrests and the iBooks sold out by 1 p.m.

"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." (excerpt)

[HitmanLV]

Remember, elimination is only by being tossed over the top rope and both feet touching the arena floor...

[I still care]

I'll tell you something else. I have posted any number of thoughtful, important stories. But the one that gets 61 entries is this one....

[SouthernFreebird]

I went once to the after Thanksgiving sales, left my house at 3 am and the mall was already filling up for a 6am opening.

The crowds there were as bad as this one. I swore never again...unless it's a really, really good sale. :-)

[Shalom Israel]

So I guess the way to get illegal immigrants back to Mexico is put used iBooks on the other side of the border.

For some reason that reminds me of a joke told by a friend of mine: "How do you starve an [X]? Hide his welfare check under his work boots." He gets a big laugh telling the joke to hispanics, by rotating the value of X: if he says "Mexican", his Cuban friends laugh, and if he says "Cuban", his Mexican friends laugh...

[ItsOurTimeNow]

Situations like this are exactly why I avoid the general public unless absolutely necessary.

Idiots + No Class + Huge Sale = Disaster

Coveting and Greed have claimed more victims!

[Moose4]

I heard the guy in the five-o'clock hour, the one that got there at 1:30. What a winner.

}:-)4

[Libertarian444]

Henrico County Police Sgt. A. J. Scott tries to control the crowd rushing to get an iBook through an open door at the Richmond International Raceway complex.

[Moose4]

So...I guess I shouldn't rub it in by mentioning that this was the fourth or fifth thread posted on this story, and together they've got about 150 responses? :)

}:-)4

[wolfcreek]

Stampede.

Looks like Walmart,the day after Christmas.

[The Phantom FReeper]

I thought of you and your wife when I read this story...I remember your saying that she had planned to be there. It's a good thing she turned around.

[Tom Thumbs]

I've only heard of that happening in one other type of establishment, gambling casino tables. Yuck!!!

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I have a friend who repairs the slot machines at a large indian casino. He tells me that on average, about one person a week is found slumped over dead in front of a slot machine.

This does not make it into the news for some odd reason.

To veer back on-topic :) I'll muse two comments. First, "Gee, Mac people are SOOOOO cool! :)", and second, someone needs to be brought up on charges for NOT auctioning these things off. There is such a thing as stewardship of the public trust. It was raped in this event, plain and simple.

[1rudeboy]

Thanks for the laugh. First one of the day.

[Zack Nguyen]

But if you took all 1,000 iBooks, Thats $500,000 minus, The $5,000.00 Investment, the salaries and expenses. You could almost retire instantly.

LOL. It would take a very complex plan to steal all 1000 of them in the middle of a riot! (But I'd love to see you try.)

[Petey139]

Well it is possible if you have 1,000 guys who come atleast 2 days early.

[Tunehead54]

I thought I'd read of this a while back but now by the post date I see it won't happen for another 990 years! Way to scoop the 'ol MSM! Personally I thought we'd have PCs embedded in our brains by then but I guess not.

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;-)

PS: Zack & Petey - you guys got some series catching up to do! ;-)