The iPad is here and so am I. In line at the 5th Avenue Apple Store, waiting for my pre-ordered iPad. The small line yesterday is a long line today. Philip Elmer-DeWitt in Fortune on Greg Packer, first in line on Thursday (I heard today that he got bumped; so much for notoriety):
Greg Packer, 47, a highway maintenance worker from Huntington, Long Island, who has made a hobby of giving “man on the street” interviews to the press, which he does by attending events that attract journalists and being first in line. He was first to buy the original iPhone, first to sign the condolence book at the British consulate when Princess Diana died, first in line for Bill Clinton’s book signing, and first in line for the inauguration of George W. Bush, for which he slept outside in the snow.
Clearly, Packer is a publicity hound, albeit a good one. I talked with him Friday afternoon when the line was smaller and asked why he did the first in line bit when he could gain notoriety with a blog (he also has a Wikipedia entry).
I have a blog. It’s called First In Line for iPhone. That got it started but I haven’t updated it in about three years. It’s easier to stand in line than it is to write something interesting.
I love New Yorkers.
UPDATE: Apparently Packer was bumped from the front of the line because he didn’t pre-order his iPad.