The end of the line (a precarious place to be)

D has been obsessing over the new iPhone since it came out a couple of weeks ago. I'm been feeling more curious about it than the first model simply because of the drop in price ($199 from waaaayyy too expensive) and because I tend to think that kinks get worked out second time around. Every time D's mentioned it to me I have to admit that I've been open to switching over.

You have to understand where all my hesitation comes from however. First, I am a person who not afraid of technology. However, I am a person who dreads transitioning from one technology to another because I've wasted way too much time trying to figure out how to get new things to work with old things and vice versa. I knew that switching over to the iPhone would be a pain in the ass because I currently use Palm Desktop for my PDA (gasp! Not Outlook!? Ok, shut up now) and all of my contacts are entered into my cell phone (gasp! Not on my desktop safe and saved?! Ok, really shut up now).

And I've been trying to come up with a reason to get the iPhone. I asked myself: Do I really need it? Can we afford it with the baby coming and all? Is it really going to make things that much more convenient for me?

So on Sunday, D and I were headed down to the South Bay to meet up with triple-mom friend J to finally, after much bugging from gal pals T and K, to put together our baby registry at the Behemoth (aka Babies R Us). D suggested that we venture to Mac store in big-ass Westfield Mall in that area to see if they had any iPhones available. Thinking to myself, no way Jose, I said sure, why not? So that's how we ended up in line for about 75 minutes outside the store and another 30 inside the store.

Let me back up a bit. So we went to big-ass mall, stopped by the store, and saw a long line formed outside. D looked at me in disappointment but I encouraged him to go ask the nice Apple guy about the situation. I stood back as D ended up having a longer than expected chat. Apple guy with pink shirt on handed him two cards and told him to be in line by 4p at the latest. D turned to me with a huge smile and said: they have plenty of stock! Now the question was whether or not we could figure out our registry at the Behemoth and be back in time to blow a wad of cash on matching iPhones. Talk about priorities!

We figured that if we could finish the registry stuff by 330p, that would give us enough time to head back to big-ass mall to hop into line. If need be, I could dump D off at the curb and he could scurry inside while I find parking. That sounded like a feasible plan.

We got to the Behemoth and saw J with the latest addition to her brood resting sleepily off her left arm with Baby Bjorn hanging off her shoulders. She looked like a very experienced mom and I felt confident that we would be able to get through this in one piece. I feel really lucky to have J as a friend because she walked us through the entire store, aisle by aisle and broke it down. Within 90 minutes we had assembled a decent registry and I had written a couple pages of notes on things to research afterwards. I swear I need to buy that woman a big something to show her appreciation for all the time she spent with us (carrying baby S in her arms all the way too!).

D and I checked our watches as we headed back to the registry desk. 340p. We had a chance! As we said goodbye to J, we jumped in the car and headed back to big-ass mall. I drove up to what I thought was the closest mall entrance. My watch read 4p by the time I told D to get out and ask nicely to be let into line even if it was a little past 4p. He nodded and ran off.

I quickly found a parking space and walked over to find him smiling and the last person in line. He made it. I was sitting in some lounge chairs nearby because my feet were killing me. I noticed at about 20 minutes into standing, a Vietnamese couple came over to the end of the line. I watched closely as D turned to say something to them. They looked at him but didn't say anything else. Then D turned to face the front of the line again. The couple then turned to each other and exchanged a few words. It seemed as if they decided to stay in line. The woman didn't look very sure about the situation.

I returned to line and glanced at the couple. The woman left the line and disappeared, leaving her male companion holding her purse. That always cracks me up when women make their male companions hold their purses for them. Those men always look so awkward, like they're holding a dead animal by its tail or something. She returned after ten minutes and it seemed as if she had gotten the power that be to let her stay in line. A nice Mac worker in an orange t-shirt came over and told them what she had told D: you are the last in line so please tell anyone else who tries to get in line that the line has closed with you. They nodded but I could already tell that they weren't going to hold up their part of the agreement.

Soon after this, a short Asian man gets into line. I look at the couple with my peripheral vision to see whether or not they put the smack down. They do nothing. In fact, I don't even think they notice that this new person is behind them.

There is nothing more annoying than people who don't know how to queue and follow queue etiquette. So I look over at them, giving them the hint that they need to fulfill their promise. They avoid my glances and ignore the guy behind them. D watches me out of amusement. He knows about my queuing issues and has once called me a Line Nazi.

Then another short Asian man gets in line behind him. Couple still does nothing about it. I look over to the workers to see if they notice these line transgressions occurring but I cannot find anyone around. I can't wait for some worker to come around the corner and put the smack down on not only the latest violators but also the couple for renegging on their agreement.

While all of this is happening, I notice people who walk past us. I hear one man saying to his female companion: look at them- standing in line to spend money - how dumb. About 10 people ask: what are you in line for? They are amazed at the scene.

Finally three workers come around the corner with hand-held sales devices to check whether or not we're eligible for some AT&T special upgrade. The two guys at the end start nervously shifting their feet. When the workers get to them, they are told that they can't be in line because they don't have tickets. The couple ignores the entire scene as the men get out of line.

Five minutes later and over an hour into line-waiting, a Filipino family tries to get into line. The sorry guy is left with his female companion's purse again and doesn't do anything about enforcing the end of the line. I begin to notice the different strategies that people try to get into line.

75 minutes later, D and I are finally ushered into the store - only to be taken into another line! The couple is now just the woman, clutching the purse that her male companion seems to have held more than she has in the past hour. I notice that she stands too close to us, reminding me of how people in China queue - aggressively, with their bodies, always on the verge of pushing you. As I back up to create more space between us, an older Asian man tries to get in line. A worker with a blue t-shirt begins to open the line for him but then a worker with a yellow t-shirt stops him and tells him that this line is closed. He whips out a ticket and says: I was here. She explains to him that he needed to be outside, in line by 4p. He tries again: I was here and I have a ticket. She doesn't blink as she takes his ticket and points to the ticket and explains: see here, it says that you needed to be in line, by 4p, and that the line closes at 4p. Sorry. The man finally gives up and walks away.

D remarks: geez, that guy tried to get away with not standing in line for an hour and a half!

The entire event ends happily - D and I engage in some conspicuous consumption - but the most eye-opening part of the day was being at the end of the line. Why are all my Asian peeps so shady when it comes to trying to get into a closed queue?