Were any of you techies part of this?

[Geowhizzer]

Va. Laptop Sale Turns Into a Stampede

Excerpts:

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.

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.

Jesse Sandler said he was one of the people pushing forward, using a folding chair he had brought with him to beat back people who tried to cut in front of him.

"I took my chair here and I threw it over my shoulder and I went, 'Bam,'" the 20-year-old said nonchalantly, his eyes glued to the screen of his new iBook, as he tapped away on the keyboard at a testing station.

"They were getting in front of me and I was there a lot earlier than them, so I thought that it was just," he said.

[General_Failure]

Nobody told me, or else I would have been.

[Susquehanna Birder]

I have a couple of old Compaq laptops that I will sell for $50 each. But depending on the potential customer, I may require them to wet themselves.

[Geowhizzer]

According to the article, the laptops were four years old.

That, coupled with being owned by a school district, and knowing how school districts spend money (or at least mine), I have to wonder if these computers were worth a lot of attention, much less being stampeded over.

For example:  Our school was given an allotment for computers (a block for teacher computers, and a lock for student comptuers) last year.  However, the school HAS to purchase these computers from the company the school district has a contract with.  We had ZERO choice.

Basically, we had to buy 256MB Celerons for approx. $750 each.  Our resident techie was absolutely mortified. 

Better than the one I had, at least!

[Philly_Crew]

This is in Richmond which is where I live.  The schools actually paid for nice computers.  I'm ashamed for the behavior of these people.  Of course, at an event like this, you're going to get the dregs of your community.

[Yeti]

"I took my chair here and I threw it over my shoulder and I went, 'Bam,"...They were getting in front of me and I was there a lot earlier than them, so I thought that it was just," he said.

Mussa?

[mussa]

yea my laptop is sweet.  hadta smack a bitch with a chair but, whos looking?