UK Brent Cross Experience

[Raikun]

So, I got my iPhone 4 today. Black 32gb sim free (my mom was kind enough to buy it for me at the last minute, completely surprised me). I'm going to take out a contract of my own in a month and if I like the white one then I'll take that and give my mom this black one and if I don't like it then I'll keep this and let my mom have the white one.


Cheers to everyone I met today that recognised me from macrumors.



Okay, now for the low down:


Today, at Brent Cross shopping centre, many people lined up outside from around midnight outside the main entrance. No real queue was formed on the outside. Many people started pushing to get to the front doors of the mall but nothing really serious (but I did get into a few arguments with people).

They opened all the doors at 7am and instantly everyone absolutely ran SCREAMING for the phone. People were pushed and shoved and one man had to be taken to A&E because he had been shoved into a glass door and cut up really badly.

I was 9th in the queue outside but ended up being really really far back in the reserved queue and it wasn't until around 11 that I got my phone, and the people that pushed and shoved and really cheated people out of their hard earned spaces got their phones a lot earlier than the people that waited around and didn't race.

It was really really shocking that Apple didn't do anything to better control the crowd!

 

[SayCheese]

That is shockingly bad that someone got injured and had to go to A&E. I hope the person that shoved him is suitably ashamed of themselves.

 

[Willis]

Wow.... unfortunately, I kind of expect this to happen at stores inside shopping centres.

but wow... I'm really shocked

 

[Pushkar]

Maybe because it is Brent Cross but a Bad Experience none the less.
Seems shocking that this happens over a phone with Grown Adults

 

[AdamA9]

That sucks!

I was at the Brighton store, and there was a guy from India I believe behind me and he couldn't believe how well behaved people were and how there was a nice 2-by-2 queue forming with no running or pushing.

Managed to get mine at about 9:30 this morning, after queuing from 7:15 am

The reserved line was short compared to the other 'non-reserved' line

 

[sjw]

Hmmm in comparison Regent Street was organised fairly well. They were giving out pastries, water and Starbucks coffee and for the most part crowd control was brilliant - friendly and efficient...

But I suppose being a flaship store (I think) with the UK media watching... they would want to keep it well organised and project a good image.

What was it like outside the store IN the mall? It's a shame about what happened prior to the doors opening but maybe it was outside Apple's control.