Reston Town Center Apple Store, Reston, VA

[BrettJDeriso]

About 16 or 17 in front of me, eight more behind at 1:00PM.

 

[bigwinnerx]

Northern VA peep here, too.

Sitting here in Chantilly at work and live in Sterling going over my options.

Target - Reston, Sterling (x2), Chantilly, Fair Oaks
WalMart - Sterling, Fair Oaks
Best Buy - Fair Oaks, Sterling
Apple Store - Reston (or, Tysons if I wanted to drive)

Can't physically get somewhere until around 5. Still not sure.

 

[BrettJDeriso]

I walked in to the Spectrum Center BestBuy (accross the street from RTC) at noon. They have an area set aside for a line, but there was no one in it at that time. I also asked the clerk if they would be checking demand in the line and advising customers if there was a shortage, and he said "no".

So if you're not willing to take chances guessing whether they will have adequate stock (and I'm not), you're better off taking your chances with the Apple stores.

At least Tysons is indoors

 

[bige12]

any update on the line there? and any pictures

 

[Consultant]

People near front there since 2pm. Line goes to skating rink.

@obamapacman for locations nearby.

 

[BrettJDeriso]

Doors opened promptly at 5:00, and the first batch of customers were welcomed in to the store to thunderous applause (I've seen this on videos, but I thought it was just a Cupertino or NY flagship store thing). I was about four people behind the first batch in, so I ended up getting in and out in 15 minutes.

When I left, the line stretched all the way back to the ice skating pavilion and around the corner to Panera. If I had to guess, easily north of 250 people.

Here's an interesting tidbit: just before the doors opened, one member of the security team started barking at people to put their cameras and cellphones away. He was even chasing down pedestrians on the other side of the street. Not sure what that B.S. was about, but as a photographer, I take exception to that sort of overreach. It's a public street, and last time I checked, the Apple store is not a post office, military base, or other government facility.

 

[natallica]

Here's an interesting tidbit: just before the doors opened, one member of the security team started barking at people to put their cameras and cellphones away. He was even chasing down pedestrians on the other side of the street. Not sure what that B.S. was about, but as a photographer, I take exception to that sort of overreach. It's a public street, and last time I checked, the Apple store is not a post office, military base, or other government facility.

This was a rent a cop and not an Apple employee, right?

Maybe it was an audition to work at the Pentagon? ;-)

-- N

 

[BrettJDeriso]

This was a rent a cop and not an Apple employee, right?

Nearly without fail, everyone who tries to enforce a photography ban is some form of rent-a-cop (or the DC Park Police, if you're downtown). In fact, he was wearing the usual RTC parking monitor garb, so yes. Paul Blart, self-appointed Apple Event Press Liaison

In addition to the formidable rent-a-cop contingent, there was also on hand an imposing display of armed Fairfax County (actual) Sheriffs and Reston's Finest.

 

[natallica]

Nearly without fail, everyone who tries to enforce a photography ban is some form of rent-a-cop (or the DC Park Police, if you're downtown). In fact, he was wearing the usual RTC parking monitor garb, so yes. Paul Blart, self-appointed Apple Event Press Liaison

I know. Back when the movie 'Anchorman' came out, I got free passes to a sneak peak at the Arlington Cinema & Draft. Traffic was (as usual) crappy to get there and we were running in at the last second when I got stopped by a rent a cop telling me I couldn't bring my crappy old flip phone.

I said, "What do you think I'm going to do with it? Make a bootleg video with a phone that doesn't record video?"

The guy says, "Well, you know the lingo!"

I said, "I know the lingo because I'm not a moron! It would be impossible for my phone to capture even 1 frame per second."

The guy then threatened me so we left and have never returned to that place. I hate rent a cops with a passion...

-- N