Xbox 360 Oh My!

Xbox 360 – Oh My!

Day before yesterday I stopped at one of my favorite coffee shops for a double espresso of morning courage. My buddy and I were sitting at a table watching the flow of people congregating around the coffee order desk. They all appeared to be in that half-here look that tends to emanate from individuals not quite with the living, but still in the netherworld of dreamland. All but one man who was so excited and animated while talking on his cell and carrying a large bag. He was pumped! His free hand was gesticulating wildly while he talked, I saw that he was holding the bag close enough to him that he looked like one of the Knights Templar protecting the elusive Holy Grail from advancing Mongol Hords.

He ordered a dark roast and I was seriously thinking the girl at the register was going to suggest decaff to him when I saw what was in the bag; a brand-new Xbox 360 with hard drive! This guy truly did have the Holy Grail! He had done it! He had gone where no man had gone before. He not only conquered lines of salivating people, but Microsoft in their typical games of driving up demand by not releasing enough products. I had to talk to this guy. He was my hero. I wanted this man’s autograph. I wanted that Xbox 360!

Fate prevailed when my buddy told me he knew the guy from work. We invited him to join us. He began weaving a tale of intrigue, sleepless night, attempted theft, greed and eventual success. It was like listening to John Grisham reading his latest novel to us.

At 2:00 am that morning he had joined a line already forming at the retail store. (I am not going to mention the name) He said that by 9:00 am there were a hundred or more people in the parking lot. The front door to the store opened and two people walked out announcing to the crowd they only had a limited supply of Xbox 360’s. Numbered cards were being passed out to the first so many people in line. Each of these cards would entitle the bearer to one Xbox 360. Pandemonium ensued. Pushing, shouting and he related, some even came close to physical violence as tempers flared. The management and security quickly gained control with threats to not sell any of the precious commodities if things did not calm down. Numbered cards were passed among the line and those not receiving one departed with heads bowed in shame, the younger of those were actually in tears he said and seeing what this man held, I was a believer.

Then the true depths to which humanity can sink to began. First, in a move out of William Golding’s Lord of the Flies, a quest for domination occurs as two men in the middle of the line argue over who will go inside while the other stays by the car. He related these two were really heating things up until a younger male suggest they flip a coin and stop arguing. The store opened a few minutes later and another pushing and shoving contest began as people attempted to all force their way in. Security calmed this situation down by calmly explaining the numbered cards were being served in sequence. Our hero, now calmly sipping coffee and enjoying the looks of passers by starring at the Xbox 360 package now sitting on the table with his arm laying across it. I noted some were actually talking in hushed whispers when passing, their heads nodding to him as if he was the holy man of the coffee shop. I was enjoying this as much as I did The Lord of the Ring’s Trilogy.

Next he related that he saw new crowds gathering in the lot. They were told the numbered cards story and the fact all was passed out. None of these poor souls stood a chance. Some departed, but others remained. The reason some stayed became evident when individuals began departing the store, Xbox 360’s held tightly to them. The people in the lot began offering sums of money for their prized possessions; he stated outright bidding wars were going on. Seeing this take place enterprising people would now go in, purchase the Xbox 360 and come out stating their asking price; some in excess of more than double the amount. We now had $400.00 units selling for $900.00 and people were buying them! My hero said, “I don’t know if this is true or not, but one person who paid the $900.00 said the exact unit was on ebay an hour ago, asking price $2700.00.”

The tale continued with the attempted theft of a unit by a person in the crowd; thwarted by two others twice the guy’s size. This same guy also attempted a grab and run of a numbered card before being apprehended by store security who had came out to quiet things down. Our hero gets to the checkout, presents his number and was told this was the last of the units in stock. As he departs he sees store personnel putting a large banner in the window stating this fact, and police now in the street and lot clearing the crowds away.

My friend and I were clearly impressed with what this guy had done. As in Greek tales of old, he had been given a task, overcame impossible odds, vanquished the foe and won the Golden Fleece. We paid for his two coffees and left with the knowledge that we had just had coffee with Jason of Argonaut fame.

Happy Thanksgiving.