Not even a White Squall can stop us from getting our iPhones!
So I showed up at the Rogers Plus store on Bank and Glebe in Ottawa Canada to buy the iPhone 3G. I had called 30 minutes earlier to discover 2 people were already waiting in line so I hauled ass over to the store.
After a couple of hours a few more early adopters showed up and the line started to gain some size. At first we were bummed that Rogers wouldn’t let us use their bathroom or their WiFi, but then people got to socializing and we remembered we were all about to own the slickest device on Earth.
The first guy in line was Joseph. He was the ultimate gadget consumer. Not only did he show up in a Mercedes Benz, but his trunk was filled with older gen iPhones that he just kept for eye candy.
Joseph’s friend was there for moral support as well as to sell his spot in line. The next day he sold it to a guy for $250 who later told me he would have paid more.
When the line grew a little, some of the boys ordered a little ‘za.
Eventually, a Rogers manager came out to talk to the line and let us all know that the 16GB iPhones are in limited supply and some of us should go to other locations. It was sad seeing part of the platoon dismantled.
From here on in it was nothing but darkness and anticipation of the White Squall that was to absolutely destroy us.
We would have been pretty scared being all alone in the dark but we had our trusted Rogers appointed security guard Larry Harry Brass. It took us a while to realize he was the security guard and not some lost child waiting for the latest Harry Potter movie.
Larry Harry Brass could not have protected us from the ice winds and bucket rain that began to fall on our heads. The two boys next to me figured out a cuddling system where they used their umbrellas, sleeping bags and friend love to ward off the hurricane.
A couple guys didn’t have either a car to hide in or a snuggle system and were forced to just brave the rain in the loneliest possible way.
IronHorse Security didn’t give poor Larry an umbrella and the chair he was supposed to sit on was broken. We felt bad so we let Larry use a chair and umbrella for a couple minutes and then it was back to work. Standing. Doing nothing.
Throughout the course of the night some friends dropped by to say hello and laugh at me.
Eventually daylight broke and after a few hours the Rogers reps started walking around taking some info so the activations would go smoothly. It was nice to see the sun but after 15 hours of waiting in line we are all a little pissy.
After a TON of waiting and talking to eager beaver reporters who all wanted to know “what is this zany thing they’re calling the Apple phone?”, I finally got the iPhone 3G. Heck yes!
Since this adventure, I’ve been quoted in countless articles with the same quote:
Kyle McInnes, 24, who works as editor-in-chief of QuicklyBored.com, had the third spot in line. “It’s the pinnacle in mobile entertainment,” he said. “It’s pornography for gadget whores.”
Thinking back on the quote, it actually doesn’t make any sense. As my brother promptly pointed out - “That quote doesn’t make sense. Whores don’t want pornography.”
You can find this quote all over the place. Here are some examples:
In the Citizen:
iPhone fanatics
Launch of the iPhone draws crowd in Glebe
In Dose:
Canada’s iPhone addicts get their fix
In the Financial Post:
Long lines as iPhone finally arrives
The National Post actually used my quote as their title!
iPhone ‘pornography for gadget whores’
I’m leaving now to go be on TV so I’ll get back with an update promptly.
For more about the night, see Doug’s roundup of my Twitter insanity.
bahhahahaha - i like your bros comments
Nice kyle. I love all the photos and the stories. I want to get one for university. I would also like to purchase your shirt.
Miguel, your sis tells me you’re going to ERAU. Pick me up in SpaceshipOne when you get a chance! I’ll trade you for the sweater.