Gii Part Deux

Last night I decided to make an attempt number two. I promised myself that it will be the last one, and that I won't do anything extreme.

After work I went to H&M and spent two hours buying clothes for my sister and myself. Then I went to TJ Max to buy a suit case, because it seems like all the stuff I bought to bring home won't fit my old luggage bags. I got a very nice Polo suitcase 28" - which is big enough (I hope) for all that presents. Then I put all the clothes I bought as well as my hand bag to my new suit case and rolled it to the metro station. At that point I realized that it was few minutes after 9 already. So, I decided to go back to Nintendo World. When I was there in the morning, I heard that they are giving out tickets from 10 to 11pm. With such ticket you can get one of the consoles in the morning, when the store opens. So why not to try and get one of those tickets and come back in the morning?

I was number 60 or so in line when I came to Nintendo World at about 9:30. I guy ahead of me, went to the beginning of the line to check what was going on. When he came back, he said that they will give out tickets from 10 to 11pm. No harm to wait for 1,5, I thought, and started waiting.

This time, I noticed more interesting things about the crowd. First, remember I mentioned young men? Now, I could clearly see that most of them were there not for the first time. By far. They all knew each other, they knew what will happen and at what time, they were very well prepared: chairs, warm clothes, beverages, they knew local pizza place and coffee shop. They were constantly talking about how much and where and how many they sold on auctions. It was their business. I saw more ugly stuff later: those who are more savvy with the process brought handicap, homeless, immigrants who don't speak English to stay in line for them. Two, three, six for one of those businessmen. "You go here, you stand there, why won't you there where I told you to be? you don't understand English?" A person who was standing after me, brought his employees: six Mexicans who barely spoke English, to wait in line all night while he planned to go home right after they will get tickets. Ones he asked them if they were cold and bought them coffee. First 10 people in line were better prepared than others: they put carton boxes on the ground and all around them and covered in sleeping bags were playing cards.

10:10 nothing. 10:15 nothing. 10:25 nothing. Around 10:30 two or three men started to walk along the line carrying Nintendo brand bags with something inside. "Miss, do you want Wii? Last one! 477. Last one! Miss?" Don't you think it was stupid to do it? People who came there to stand in line for the whole night would not buy this "cat in the bag" for double price (listed price for Wii is $249). But someone bought it.

10:40 more intimidation. Tourists passing by yelled: "all sold out, go home" or "I can't believe you are here for Wii, I am from Virginia and you can buy it anywhere there" (Excuse me, what was she talking about? She had no clue, I am sure!). "Businessmen" in their parked cars along the line were constantly updating ebay web pages on their laptops.... 10:55 nothing. 11:05 I walked to the beginning of the line and looked at the windows of the store: custodians were swiping the floor, at the back of the store two young people were tediously moving boxes to the counter with huge Wii sign above it. Screens at the store windows were flashing with Wii commercials. First people in line, lying in their sleeping bags on the ground (0C, 30F outside), were watching this commercials non-stop. I left. Wheels of my new suit case swished softly on quiet streets. Mike will understand, I know.