back to article Official crackdown on Apple fanboi 'shanty town' ahead of London iPhone launch

The British authorities have told two of Blighty's most passionate Apple fanbois to remove a "shanty town shack" they have constructed outside London's Regent Street Apple Store. Two diehard Apple nuts set up camp outside the fruity firm's UK flagship shop yesterday in hope of being the first to pick up the new iPhone 5S when …

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  1. Anonymous Custard

    Spot the difference?

    owns various important bits of UK real estate including the seabed round the British isles - and Regent Street

    Given how wet it was last night, I'm surprised they could tell the difference...

    1. LarsG

      I'm glad they have so much time on their hands

  2. Chris Miller

    "Dude, you're a barista"

    That is all.

    1. Cliff

      Re: "Dude, you're a barista"

      And even that is a made up name for 'works in a cafe'...

      1. I ain't Spartacus Gold badge
        Coat

        Re: "Dude, you're a barista"

        Dude, I'm a barrister. Sure I'll make you coffee. My fees are £600 an hour, plus annual retainer and refresher payments.

        For the lack of a wig icon, I think I'll get my coat.

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Queuing already?

    One thought comes to mind: "Sad B*****ds"

    1. This post has been deleted by its author

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Queuing already?

      No sadder that the sad bastard (or the sad bastards that upvote said sad bastard) that comments about them on a website aimed at nerds...

      1. AceRimmer

        Re: Queuing already?

        Really?

        The big diference is that we don't have to wait outside in the rain for 5 days to mock the sad cases

        1. JDX Gold badge

          Re: Queuing already?

          Yes but they like being in the rain.

          Not really any sadder in the grand scheme of things than sitting outside watching a man try to hit a red ball with a plank for 5 days.

          1. Charlie Clark Silver badge

            Re: Queuing already?

            @JDX - you are going to be one of the first against the wall!

            Do they even do I-Phones for uncovered pitches?

          2. h3

            Re: Queuing already?

            At least you can buy and consume beer whilst you watch cricket with no hassle whatsoever.

            Drinking outside the Apple store would likely annoy people even more.

        2. Ted Treen

          Re: Queuing already?

          Point taken, but are these any sadder than all the "must-have-on-first-night" GTA v purchasers?

        3. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: Queuing already?

          But you are sat on your own in front of a computer mocking people who are actually doing something. Whether you think it's worthwhile is neither here not there. They are making friends and enjoying themselves, while you are in a room on your own being a judgemental prick. How dare they like something you don't.

    3. TheOtherHobbes

      Re: Queuing already?

      >One thought comes to mind: "Sad B*****ds"

      That's no way to speak to our esteemed legal profession.

      True, sitting outside in the rain waiting for a phone makes no sense either.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Queuing already?

        Never really get the hostility, a group of similar minded people who have some spare time decide to spend time together waiting for something they enjoy/want... Often while enjoying one another's company, drinking, eating, and relaxing...

  4. fixit_f

    Jesus Christ

    Talk about first world problems!

    1. Gav

      Re: Jesus Christ

      And what a completely pointless waste of time and energy for all concerned.

      Is it beyond someone to come up with a better system, rather than having customers physically park themselves outside the shop for days, waiting for a completely arbitrary date & time when they have to physically walk through a door? Just thinking about it shows just how ridiculous the whole charade is.

      Apple is supposed to be a tech company, but is reliant on a stupid and outdated method of throttling initial market demand.

      1. 142
        Megaphone

        Re: Jesus Christ

        "Is it beyond someone to come up with a better system"

        You can walk into any carphone warehouse the next day and pick one up at your leisure...

        1. Khaptain Silver badge

          Re: Jesus Christ

          Yes, but do the Carphone warehouse boys give you High Fives and go Whoop whoop whoop whoop as you leave the store...

        2. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: Jesus Christ

          You can walk into any carphone warehouse the next day and pick one up at your leisure...

          You can also be a normal user and buy the thing one or two months later - and that's not limited to Apple kit. That way you are assured of supply, get a device that has at least made a start with getting debugged and you don't have to spend time in a queue when you wander into a shop - it's my pet hate.

          This whole "queueing outside" is either for making hype, or for people falling prey to it. Neither interests me much. Just give me the device. It's that and the eternal court cases that is making me consider alternatives, however much I like the kit.

          1. Anonymous Coward
            Anonymous Coward

            Re: Jesus Christ

            Queueing? What a quaint notion. Fortunately there are no queues on-line ;-)

            1. Thomas 4

              Re: Jesus Christ

              Meh, I don't have any issue with it myself. If they're in front of the Apple store and both staff and fanbois are having fun, what's the harm? I imagine there's quite a few regulars that meet up and talk at these queue gatherings.

              Besides, if someone is obsessive enough to queue outside a shop for four days for a phone, wouldn't it be better to know where they are?

            2. D@v3

              Re: no queues on-line

              Ever tried getting tickets for Glastonbury?

              Sitting in front of a PC for an hour, waiting to be served before being told they have sold out, sure feels like a bloody queue to me.

              1. I ain't Spartacus Gold badge

                Re: no queues on-line

                It is however, a queue in the warm and dry, with hot and cold running coffee and biscuits.

                1. Khaptain Silver badge

                  Re: no queues on-line

                  And most importantly, Toilet Paper.....( and somewhere private in which it can be used)

                2. monkeyfish

                  Re: no queues on-line

                  hot and cold running coffee and biscuits.

                  There's something wrong with your biscuits.

                  1. I ain't Spartacus Gold badge
                    Coat

                    Re: no queues on-line

                    hot and cold running coffee and biscuits.

                    There's something wrong with your biscuits.

                    No, they're gingerbread men.

                    Hmmm, better get me coat.

              2. ArmyCrow

                Re: no queues on-line

                That's literally* an hour, too, given last year's nightmare.

                *that's literally in the literal sense, not the OED sense.

            3. Anonymous Coward
              Anonymous Coward

              Re: Jesus Christ

              That ain't strictly true of course as sheeple wanting to get Glastonbury tickets usually find out .. just like the middleclasses wanting Olympics tickets last year.

      2. I ain't Spartacus Gold badge

        Re: Jesus Christ

        And what a completely pointless waste of time and energy for all concerned.

        Is it beyond someone to come up with a better system, rather than having customers physically park themselves outside the shop for days, waiting for a completely arbitrary date & time when they have to physically walk through a door?

        To be fair to Apple, they will have it delivered to you on release day, if you order online in time. Or you can reserve at a store, if you're so sad you have to have the thing on day 1, so can pick it up where you work, at luch time.

        To not be fair to Apple, they've apparently applied for the license for this tent for the last 4 years, making these poor saps basically unpaid marketing fodder for the Cult-of-JobsTM. But then they seem to be perfectly willing to get wet in this cause, so who am I to interfere with their 'fun'. Even if it does make me want to beat a bit of sense into them.

        So they get to be first and get their 15 minutes of fame, care of lazy/bored journalists with copy to file. Apple get to look cool (or more realistically weird), especially when their staff start whooping and high-fiving. And everyone else gets to go, "what the hell is going on with some people?", and shake their heads sadly at the state of the world...

        Do the staff in the UK stores really do all this high-fiving and whooping? I can understand the US doing it, they're less grumpy and cynical than us, but you'll notice that Wal-Mart did not introduce the Wal-Mart Cheer when they took over ASDA. Although apparently they did when they started up a chain in Germany. I have this mental image of all these poor Germans being forced to raise their hands and fist-pump while mumbling "Go Wal-Mart! Go Wal-Mart!" And I'm going to resist all temptation to make any bad-taste jokes here, I'll leave that to Basil Fawlty...

      3. TraceyC

        Re: Jesus Christ

        There is a better system. It's already used by Disney parks and some automobile registration offices in Texas.

        You get a ticket saying the wait is x minutes long. When it gets to be near that time, you go back to the queue. The wait may be hours when you first get your ticket, but you only need to spend a few minutes physically standing in a queue.

        This doesn't give you bragging rights with other fans. It also doesn't give you the chance to show the world the lengths you will go to for your iThingie by your presence on a sidewalk for days in the rain. It would deprive Apple of the free extra publicity.

  5. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    "putting the structure of the tent up, but not mounting the fabric on top of it"

    What rebels

  6. MJI Silver badge

    How sad

    But then I will be going to Game on the 29th on November, but I will not be queueing!

    1. Tsung

      Re: How sad

      Going to Game and not queuing? In which mythical world do you live?. I don't think I've ever been to a Game shop and not seen a queue for the checkout. It's like they want their customers to get peeved off and go order online.

    2. Piloti

      Re: How sad

      Why, what's going on at the end of November ? Apologies for not being bang up to date with every minor event on the retail calendar, but I have life.....

      1. MJA

        Re: How sad

        It's the release of PS4 and Xbox One :)

        1. Steve Davies 3 Silver badge
          Alien

          Re: How sad

          all those who downvoted the posts about queueing should mark the end of Nov in their diaries so that they can carry on the good work of downvoting any and all queuers.

          1. ArmyCrow

            Re: How sad

            Sod it, I'm popping into Tesco's on the way home and not only am I going to down vote anyone queuing, I'm going to tut at them whilst crossing my arms over my chest and tapping a foot in their direction.

            Queue-rs - pfft.

  7. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    23 year old estate agent

    Hasn't he got an overpriced house to sell someone?

    1. Steven Raith

      Re: 23 year old estate agent

      Pretty much proves my theory I have about estate agents.

    2. Steve Evans

      Re: 23 year old estate agent

      He's probably holding up some house sale... But at least those concerned now know where to find him, which is a step of from searching all the local golf courses.

      1. I ain't Spartacus Gold badge

        Re: 23 year old estate agent

        That's not fair to estate agents. They do the initial hard-sell. It's the conveyancers and lawyers whose job it is to hold up the sale for no reason whatsoever...

    3. Darren Barratt

      Re: 23 year old estate agent

      He'll be selling off the tent as soon as he's got his iFruit.

      Charming, compact, central London Property. Views of vibrant city life included. Offers in region of 1.1 mil.

      1. Stratman

        Re: 23 year old estate agent

        "Charming, compact, central London Property. Views of vibrant city life included. Offers in region of 1.1 mil."

        Bet he keeps schtum about the neighbours

  8. Piloti

    Trin Tragula......

    .... had a sense of perspective.

    These two t1t5 seem to have lost this completely. This is 'phone we're talking about here, not the worlds first brain transplant, of a water powered car, or proof of sentient life on Mars, or a perpetual motion machine.

    It's a 'phone. OK, less copper wire than Bell or Meucci had foreseen.....

    But a 'phone none the less.

    Idiots.

    1. jonathanb Silver badge

      Re: Trin Tragula......

      Other shops sell iDevices on launch day, and they don't have queues of fanbois waiting in line. They could go to one of them if they really can't wait. Carphone Warehouse for example is just round the corner in Oxford Street.

      There are companies with names such as "rent a crowd" that supply people to queue for events such as this. There is however no evidence that Apple has engaged the services of one of these companies.

      1. Cliff

        ...Rent a crowd...

        One way to get a part on the West End.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: ...Rent a crowd...

          Does anyone else think the Apple Marketers are losing thier grip?

          You can see them being paid to do this by Apple. [Don't knock the idea. It worked wonders in the past.]

      2. Alan Brown Silver badge

        Re: Trin Tragula......

        "Carphone Warehouse for example is just round the corner in Oxford Street."

        Would you really want to buy anything at Carphone Whorehouse? The phones are one thing but being badgered into buying well overpriced accessories and unnecessary insurance grates.

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