Wednesday, November 15
I saw some crazy people tonight
They were camping in front of Target. With chairs and ponchos and coolers and more. I wondered what they were protesting, especially at 8:30 at night. They let me pass by and hardly looked my way.
If you read my ratherpretentious poetic post from earlier today, you know it's been pouring all day.
I asked an employee why they were there. They're in line for Sony's new Playstation 3, and although I've seen the press, I haven't read it. Until I saw the crazy people.
The Target peeps told me people have been camped out at Best Buy since Monday even though thestupid games Playstations aren't available for purchase until Friday. Price tag? $500.00. for a stripped-down version.
I'm guessing there are three categories of "campers": 1) Serious gamers in line for themselves, desperately validated by being the "first on the block with..." 2) Mercenaries hoping to flip a quick profit on eBay and stick it to the third category: 3) parents who have obviously lost their ever-lovin' minds!!! (and didn't know they had to stand in line for a week in order to buy their over-indulged children a $600.OO TOY FOR CHRISTMAS!!!).
This morning after school drop off (I'm finishing this post the day after I started it), I drove through the Best Buy parking lot to poll the campers, in order to bring their story to you. Nine tents in a row. On cement. In a parking lot. They were still sleeping.
I THOUGHT about honking my horn, but I figured they're already grumpy enough (lol). I am oddly drawn to their insanity the same way I rubberneck a trainwreck. This tells me I am just as nuts as they are.
If you read my rather
I asked an employee why they were there. They're in line for Sony's new Playstation 3, and although I've seen the press, I haven't read it. Until I saw the crazy people.
The Target peeps told me people have been camped out at Best Buy since Monday even though the
I'm guessing there are three categories of "campers": 1) Serious gamers in line for themselves, desperately validated by being the "first on the block with..." 2) Mercenaries hoping to flip a quick profit on eBay and stick it to the third category: 3) parents who have obviously lost their ever-lovin' minds!!! (and didn't know they had to stand in line for a week in order to buy their over-indulged children a $600.OO TOY FOR CHRISTMAS!!!).
This morning after school drop off (I'm finishing this post the day after I started it), I drove through the Best Buy parking lot to poll the campers, in order to bring their story to you. Nine tents in a row. On cement. In a parking lot. They were still sleeping.
I THOUGHT about honking my horn, but I figured they're already grumpy enough (lol). I am oddly drawn to their insanity the same way I rubberneck a trainwreck. This tells me I am just as nuts as they are.
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16 Comments:
Good lord! I wouldn't have any patience for that...hmm...yeah, let me go sit in front of a store for days while it rains on my, so I can spend half a grand on a toy that will allow my butt to get really big as I sit on the couch all day!! no thanks!!
And if there are any parents in that group, they deserve to be slapped.
I would never camp out in front of a story for anything!
Remember Beanie Babies? I remember hearing of people camping out in front of Hallmark stores and such waiting for new shipments of the latest batches. And when McDonald's were selling them/giving them away in Happy Meals, there'd be lines of suburban moms in their mini-vans in the drive-thru just sucking the joy of trying to get a big mac for lunch. I'm SO not a wait-in-liner and I mock people who are.
I meant I would never camp in front of a STORE (not story. Darn smug, over-eager, self-righteous fingers.)
Sally, I've been camped in front of a story for a few days now and I'm getting nowhere fast. Might have to revert to posting pictures.
Robin, your assessment while being accurate, misses one very important point. Those are not categories, they are "sub-categories" and they are all under the umbrella category of 'dickhead'. Oh, and if you're interested, no I'm not at all judgmental.
I predict we will be seeing a ton of these initial units showing up on eBay, despite eBay's announced efforts to curb auctioning of the systems at ridiculous prices. Funny thing is, as a former gamer who's owned a fair share of systems and games I'm not at all excited by the PS3 or Xbox 360. The one system that has my attention is the new Nintendo system, the Wii (and no, that's not a joke). If ever there was something innovative and interesting enough to get me back into buying and playing videogames it would be that system which sells at a fraction of the cost of the other two.
Hey, what ever happened to my good old Atarii?
See? I was so young when we got it, I can't even spell it right. But I could kick some alien-invasion-hiney on Space Invaders. Sheeyawh Baby!
No, I would not camp out for a game system. Or a Beanie Baby. Or a year's worth of free Chik-Fil-A sandwiches (which I heard they just did in my former town). But I did -sheepish smirk- camp out for Monkees tickets in the late 80's. Yes, I was a second-time-around Monkee lover. Peter Tork and Davy Jones... now THERE'S something to sit on the sidewalk for.
Claudia, the temperature's been dropping all day, it's remained cold and drizzly, and they're still there. I'm still working on interviewing them, but it hasn't worked out yet...if I do, I'll pass along any deserved slaps in your honor.
Laurel, Hmmm, did you go through BM's study on Daniel??? I can't open my eyes without seeing Babylon.
Sally, uh, oh...I remember searching high and low for a Beanie horsey for my daughter. It was one of three things she asked for for Christmas that year (the total cost of all three of her items was less than $50). I found it on eBay, bought it, only to never have it shipped! Eventually I found one other eBayer who had it and I think I paid double for it. Supply and demand BITES sometimes :/.
WT, I had to read that twice--first time I read you comment, I read "store" and thought, SURELY HE ISN'T WAITING IN LINE FOR A FREAKIN PS3!!! I was right;).
I wish you wouldn't hold back, can't you say what you REALLY think?? ;)
James, I'm hearing they're going for 3x the price in pre-buys. Un...freaking...believeable. My son is hinting @ the Wii, but so far, we've held out on anything but hand-helds. (Nope, not tempted in spite of his hinting)(he knows not to ask). You reminded me of how mean a parent we can be. Think I'll post on it.
Heeeeeey, Janice & Erin showed up while I was writing (jinx) ;).
Janice, too, too FUNNY! I really wanna interview these people, they've got my attention.
Erin, you made me think of PONG! Now, that's hilarious how that used to be enough to entertain. Ooooo, I was sooooooooo skilled at Space Invaders?
I'm trying to remember what I've stood in line for. Hmmm, y'all have me thinkin' of all kinds of random posts.
I am the type of person who will buy the Playstation 2 now that it will be so much cheaper!!!
I wonder what the average age was of all those people (22?)
Um - there is only ONE reason to wait in a line, and thats because the women's restroom is totally full and you really have to go.
Hee hee, I would have honked.
Okay, my first thought when atari was mentioned was Pong. Then you commented on that too. I am so slow. HA!
Those people are crazy. What do you think they will do in two years when an even newer one comes along. The same darn thing. It is a sickness. HA!
It's so revolting you can't tear your eyes away from their insanity?
It reminds me of the 1st year the original cabbage patch dolls were available -- my mother says, "It was horrible -- there was screaming, yelling, pushing, swearing; finally, I made my way to the front of the line!"
My dh still misses Frogger :,(
We didn't have Atari, but we were forced to play Intellivision (pre-Atari or at the same time)
I am Joe's mom :) He's the adorable college guy at Target in Chattanooga in line for *cough* said purchasing event...he falls in the 2 catagory.
He texted me a picture of the tent supplies at Target in Chattanooga. I am "home" in Ohio. He was so impressed by your stopping, said you reminded him of me. I love that you stopped to talk to them, they're a great bunch of kids, really! Nice to meet you!
and i am joe, one of the guys who you talked to at target. #3 in line if you will. it was totally a fun "adventure" with 2 of my good friends. i'm not a gamer, i could care less. i MIGHT buy a PS3 in the summer just to mess around with. we bought these playstations, and immediately posted them on eBay. say what you will, but when you have people willing to pay you thousands of dollars for something that you paid $600 for... it's hard to say no, even if it means 40 hours in the parking lot of a target. just for the record, we were extremely warm and very dry (thanks to tarps and duct tape) the entire time. it was fun. you're only a kid once, right?
not to mention, i'm in college, and easy money is the best money. i'd much rather be out whitewater rafting (my summer job) or being a normal kid, but sometimes it's fun to do something off the cuff.
Joe and Joe again, Why are you posting here??? Post to the one with your www-famous picture!! Is your summer job on the Ocoee?
Loree, WELCOME! Joe was with the nicest group of boys (I was impressed...I mean...everyone was in the BEST mood considering what they had been up to). I checked out your blog but was a bit confused, not exactly the same format at this. When I have time, I'll snoop a bit more.
Laurel, I'm STILL confused over Daniel...information OVERLOAD!
Karmyn, yeah, you sound about like me, lol.
Julie, I am convinced it's just a symptom of our society...we're all NUTS!
LCO, Frogger (giggles), reminds me of George Costanza crossin' the street in "that" episode. Too funny about Cabbage Patch dolls, huh?
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