S*********t 发帖数: 271 | 1 http://www.smh.com.au/digital-life/mobiles/student-in-tears-aft
Student in tears after being kicked out of iPhone 6 queue
A young woman was in tears after police kicked her out of the queue to Apple
's flagship Sydney store before she was able to buy the new iPhone 6.
Anna, a 24-year-old international student from China, was ordered by police
around 10am to leave the George St area for six hours or risk being arrested
, after they asked her multiple times to stay put in the queue.
Two models of the new smartphone, the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, went on
sale at 8am AEST at Apple stores across the country, as well as other
retailers such as Telstra, Optus and Vodafone.
Police ordered the student to move on.
Police ordered the student to move on. Photo: Michael Koziol
The student, who wouldn't give her last name, said she had lined up for more
than 24 hours but the number of people in front of her had grown from about
80 to 180 overnight as people joined their friends.
She became worried that she wouldn't get to the front of the queue in time
to buy two 4.7-inch iPhone 6 handsets as planned, because she had to leave
to study for a law exam.
Other people in the queue then offered to sell her handsets at inflated
prices which she could not afford – more than twice the price in one case,
she said.
The upset student was questioned by police.
The upset student was questioned by police. Photo: Hannah Francis
Anna left her spot in the queue more than once to see if anyone could sell
her a phone at a more reasonable price.
Police then intervened to try to maintain a clear passageway outside the
George St store, she said, which was overcrowded with customers and press.
Witnesses overhead police ask the young woman if she really wanted to get
arrested "over a phone".
Anna said she was warned two or three times before being ordered to leave
the area.
She said police did the right thing but was upset that Apple hadn't done
more to prevent people pushing in front of others.
It was unfair that "true" Apple fans like her missed out, implying others
were trying to profit from the high demand for the product.
"I just feel so excited by the iPhone but the shop did nothing [to stop
people pushing in]," she said. "It's a waste of my heart, waste of my love."
She said Apple could have allocated number cards to ensure people could not
jump in front of those who had been waiting longer.
Police on the scene said people in the queue, which snaked from the George
Street store for 400 metres along York and Market streets to Clarence, had
otherwise been very orderly.
Apple hired extra security for the event.
The company had also arranged a second queue for customers picking up pre-
orders placed since last Friday at 5pm. They were also able to nominate a
specific time for pick-up.
Apple declined to comment on the matter.
A NSW Police spokeswoman said officers from Sydney City Local Area Command
spoke to a 24-year-old woman who was obstructing and harassing members of
the public in George Street, Sydney, at about 10am.
"The woman was issued with a move along direction to which she complied,"
she said adding police will take no further action.
Melbourne-based Hannah Francis travelled to Sydney as a guest of Apple. |
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