Pity the Person Who's Just Trying to Shop at Apple MePa

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You know what sucks? Having a non-iPhone-related errand at the Apple Store today. We just heard from a tipster who's stuck waiting in a 25-minute line at the 14th Street Apple Store for help with something that has nothing to do with the big release. She reports that there are no iPhones left for people who didn't preorder, and that Geniuses are telling people that the wait for preorders is about three to four hours. The people who are fourth and fifth in line, however, say they've only been waiting for about two hours and that when they got on line, the end of the line was in front of La Perla. She writes:

The first 10 people in line don't seem cranky at all. I am cranky, however, because I just want to run in to return a broken and unrelated accessory, and they told me that I'd have to wait in a line near the door on the 14th street side "until we can assess whether or not we can help you with small things."

There are about five others waiting on this side: One who is making a video on his phone of all the geniuses it is taking to tell us the same thing, one who wants to buy a desktop computer, and one who has a very old small orange iPod.

It's also been suggested that if there weren't three Geniuses handing out ice cream and sunscreen, then maybe there would be enough employees to help the non-iPhone customers. We get the feeling the Apple Store might have mutiny on its hands soon—at the very least, they ought to be sharing that ice cream.
· All iPhrenzy coverage [Racked NY]

Apple MePa

401 W. 14th Street, New York, NY