(Disclosure: I'm long $AAPL)
The new iPhone debuted huge last weekend, to the surprise of no one. As usual, long lines formed overnight in front of Apple stores all around the world. But things got ugly in front of the Apple store in Pasadena when the crowd found out that a guy hired homeless people to wait in line so he could buy multiple iPhones.
He offered the homeless $40 to wait in line and buy a phone. Everything was going according to plan until he started bragging to the other patrons about his homeless army taking up space in line. Someone tipped off the people inside the Apple store, who then refused to sell more phones to the homeless. Naturally, the dirtbag capitalist behind the whole scheme then refused to pay his minions, and then shit got real.
The mob turned on him, and cops had to hurry him out of the area for his own safety. He wasn't arrested though, because heartless exploitation is still legal in America. Is this a great country or what?
This video will give you an idea of how ridiculous the line situation was at various locations around the world:
I can't help myself, and maybe I'm just a terrible person, but things like this give me the giggles. Not that the homeless are being exploited, because that's pretty awful, but just people come up with this shit in the first place.
I'm reminded of SXSW two years ago, where some enterprising company paid homeless people to walk around as "Homeless Hotspots" for wifi access. I'm sure there's at least a layer of good intentions at the heart of it (I'm helping out the homeless), but the execution of these schemes always backfires on the perpetrators.
As an Apple shareholder, I'm tickled pink that they sold millions of units this past weekend. It has been one of the hardest positions I've ever had to trade my way out of. Maybe this'll be the impetus for it to break out over $500 so I can put it in my rear view for good (my average cost is $473 at the moment).
So much for drinking the $AAPL $1,000 kool-aid.
i'm all for paying the homeless for services...as long as both parties fulfill their side of the deal. i used to pay a guy who lived outside my building to carry my groceries to my apt. (i lived on the 8th floor with no elevator). he was happy to do it every time.
my so-called clever boss at a startup awhile back started this company: http://www.bumvertising.com (paying bums to hold ads) and actually got a little traction, and this segement w/ colbert (when he was still on the daily show)
//www.youtube.com/embed/nUjJtpBa6w0
Pretty funny. Is it unethical? Maybe, maybe not. In this situation, I'm leaning more towards the "yes" side. The guy was doing it out of his own greed to sell the phones for a profit online to those people who just need to get their hands on them immediately. Maybe I wouldn't be so inclined to call this unethical if the guy would have just kept his mouth shut instead of trying to look like a self righteous mother Theresa. He had it coming to him.
Reminds me of this: http://nypost.com/2013/05/14/rich-manhattan-moms-hire-handicapped-tour-…
LOL. Forgot all about that. Love it.
Doesn't seem inconspicuous at all. Just one more reason for me to hate every fiber of the fabric called NYC. Also, since when does the 1% go to Disneyland? They are obviously delusional about their own social status.
Edit: If you're hanging with your black market handicapped hiretour guide all day, I wonder how awkward those conversations can get?
This reminds me of the South Park episode where Cartman gets a scooter and exploits every possible thing out of it... but then goes berserk when he comes upon a line of other "motorists" at the amusement park... ha
For a moment, I thought you were going to refer to the episode regarding homeless feeding off of change. Ahhh, good stuff.
Whenever I see people in rascals that aren't senior, I laugh on the inside.
This will always happen for everything. People are paying homeless people to wait in line for the cronut, or at least they used to. I don't know how the demand for that is still.
Be careful that you do not overpay your homeless "employees", because soon you may have very few left.
I guess I'm the only one who doesn't see anything wrong in this.
I agree, Eddie mentioned it's exploitation but if someone is willing to give you $40 to stay in line over night and you want to, who cares. Stiffing the bums at the finish line though, wickedly cracks me up a bit.
If this didn't go bad, I'd have no issue with it. Why is it ok that I paid my ex's brother $400 for a PS3 the day they came out, but this isn't ok? Both situations people sacrificed their time to get paid. As long as everyone knows what their end of the deal is, I'm fine with it.
I am a pretty big iPhone fan. I don't think they're necessarily "better" than droids, just easier and more seamless. Since I want the phone that's easiest for my wife to use, I doubt we'll ever go away from iPhones. That being said, this is totally crazy. There's nothing completely revolutionary on this phone (although that's the case for all new phones now - just incremental improvements). I just found out that my mother in law got so sick of not being able to figure out her older android phone that she waited 4 hours at Verizon yesterday to get an iPhone 5S, although I'm sure she'll struggle with that too.
This is common practice in the sneaker game. However, in those deals, the bums are usually paid in cigarettes and booze.
Disney recently changed their Disability Card policy to stop people from bringing a non-family handicapped person with them to skip the lines
Some similar scumbag did this in New York for the free Shakespeare in the Park tickets. Had the homeless grab as many of them as they could and scalped them into next week. I hate this city.
HAHAHAHAHA.
I don't know why, but that shit just makes me smile. I guess I'm just a terrible person. So much utter and complete disregard for your fellow man in NYC. That city's just an Asshole Academy.
You know how you said France would be great if it wasn't for all the French? New York wouldn't be so bad if it wasn't for the New Yorkers.
So Brazil is an Asshole Country.
Here it is common to hear news about people selling line spots in Banks, Hospitals, Free Clinics, Social Security Offices, IRS Offices.
Why is this wrong? What's the problem with providing the homeless with a part time job?
exactly. All parties would have benefited if the apple store didn't refuse to sell to him.
that's what we like to call... a fair deal. all the way up until the end when the guy got the shaft and then broke that shaft into smaller pieces and gave it to each of the homeless people.
Getting $40 to stand in a line instead of sitting on a corner begging? OH THE HORROR!
This guy sounds like a hero. Those dirtballs should have signed a contract; their fault.
Guy had a great idea, wish I thought of it.
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