Filmmaker Casey Neistat shows “the dark side” of waiting in line for Apple’s newly released iPhone 5s in his latest video. Neistat speaks to professional line sitters and others who are being paid to wait, and even sees a woman sleeping on the sidewalk in a sealed trash bag.
i waited in line for 10 hours for the first iPhone, also waited in line, outside the mall, in 1999 for the Sega Dreamcast. it’s like tailgating. being excited about something and letting that excitement grow along side similarly minded people. when i went out for the 5S launch i found a lot of that excitement and enthusiasm but i also found a lot of tired anxious people who were waiting in line for reasons other than their own desire for a product. that was a little bothersome. the scene at the apple store just before the phones release was also a sight i’d never experienced. beyond excitement it was closer to hysteria. encouraged by hundreds of equally hysterical employees in blue shirts. at the peak of that hysteria i stopped and reminded myself what the impetus was for all of this; a new phone. that warranted a head shake and an eye roll. it’s fun to get excited about something, no matter how ridiculous it may seem. i went to the superbowl once and when the patriots lost my best friend started crying. i can understand sleeping on the street for a new toy more than i can crying over a professional sports game.. it takes all kinds i suppose.
