Editor’s Note: The following article is excerpted from the Today @ PC World blog on PC World.
Anticipation is building in advance of the big iPhone launch this Friday. AT&T, which is selling the service plans for the new phone, is telling its retail stores to expect lines of hopeful iPhone buyers. The company actually sent letters to its retail stores last week advising them on “crowd control” methods, including the use of (oh my God!), stanchions! (You know, those things that form the lines at airport ticket counters.)
You can read the memo here.
Judging by a number of listings at Craigslist, plenty of people are planning on buying, or at least trying to buy, an iPhone on opening day. Seems not all of them have time to wait in line, though. I found more than 10 ads on Craigslist posted by people looking for “iPhone line waiters,” like this one:
“I can’t stand in line on Friday but I will pay you to hold my spot until I get there. Terms: -You start standing in line at noon until my arrival (between 4-5) -You need to give up your spot to me (you can’t be buying your own iPhone, you can’t just let me but ahead of you) -$20/hr Contact me and we’ll work through specifics.”
AT&T retail stores plan to close from 4:30 p.m. until 6 p.m. Friday, then open until 10 p.m.