Professional Line Sitter Greg Packer Bumped From Front Of iPad Queue

Professional Line Sitter Greg Packer Bumped From Front Of iPad Queue

Blogger Richard Gutjahr is currently first in line to get an iPad at Apple's flagship 5th Ave. store. He bumped professional line sitter Greg Packer, who didn't reserve his iPad.

Professional line sitter Greg Packer has been bumped from the front of the iPad line at the 5th Avenue Apple Store.

Packer didn’t reserve his iPad, so he’s dropped behind German blogger Richard Gutjahr, who did reserve an iPad.

“Apparently nobody before me in the original line had a reservation,” Gutjahr just emailed me from his iPhone. “Crazy.”

As we reported yesterday, Packer began his campout to be first in line for an iPad on Thursday. Packer is a professional line sitter who has gained considerable media attention for being first in line for scores of events, including the original iPhone and Ground Zero.

Gutjahr says Packer is angry about getting bumped. “He seems to be really mad,” Gutjahr wrote. “Funny thing: the media still thinks he’d be the number one who gets the iPad. But he needs to wait until the reserved line is done. And that one is lead by me. Who would have thought this?”

Gutjahr says there are about 20 people in line so far at the flagship Manhattan store. He and the others in line plan to camp out all night until the iPad goes on sale at 9AM. Gutjarh is blogging the event.

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Crowds are expected to be light because Apple offered pre-orders and reservations. Most people will receive their iPads by UPS tomorrow or will pick up reserved iPads at Apple stores in the morning.

Still, the absence of a big crowd at the Cube-shaped store — normally a huge tourist attraction — is giving Gutjahr pause. “Hope its not a flop,” he wrote.

About the author

Leander Kahney

is the editor and publisher of Cult of Mac, and author of three books about technology culture: Inside Steve’s Brain, the New York Times bestseller about Steve Jobs; Cult of Mac; and Cult of iPod. Leander has written for Wired, MacWeek, Scientific American, and The Guardian in London. Follow Leander on Twitter @lkahney and Facebook.

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Posted in Apple, Apple Tablet, iPad, News, Retail Stores, Tablet |

  • macaddicted

    Awwww

  • Rob

    I love Apple and its products, but for the life of me, I just don’t get people who will camp out for a gadget. I just have way too many other things I’d rather be doing than sitting and sleeping on a sidewalk.

  • http://www.toxicspark.com Andrew Macdonald

    At least this was a respectable article about Mr Packer, I guess, which is more than can be said for yesterdays.

    I didn’t realise that Apple bumped people further up the queue if you had made a reservation though, I thought even if you have pre-ordered one, you’d still have to wait your turn in queue before you get to speak to somebody in the store.

  • yargo

    This Richard Gutjahr fella looks like he’s a couple fries short of a happy meal. What’s up with that big doofus grin on his face? What’s he got to be happy about? First in line? Pfft! Get a life.

    Why is he holding his hand up to his ear?. OMG! I bet he’s one of those tards with a bluetooth earpiece. People that use those disgust me. Plus – look how he’s holding out his arm as if that’s where his girlfriend will soon be sitting. Dream on Richard – loser!! If he had any brains he’d realize that you don’t have to spend the night waiting in line when – you already RESERVED ONE ONLINE!!

    Damn – some people.

    (lol ;-)

  • the flying macaroni

    I didn’t know that was a career choice. “Professional line sitter.” Does it pay well?

  • http://ObamaPacman.com ObamaPacman

    Great news!

    Sounds like the outcries from the friends of professional line sitter club got Packer bumped. Burned!

  • http://deoclicianocgiportfolio.wordpress.com deocliciano

    Well, insulting people who did nothing offensive?

    I guess being there for attention seeking Bono or any other decadent and out of touch rock artist/band would be OK.

    We all relate differently to things.
    People call me aloof and distant but that is me, let these people have fun.

    Please more picture of them, there will be rain there?
    Would be funny to see them soaked and waiting.
    C’mon it would be fun to watch.

  • Holly

    Richard is a dufus. Why would he do that to Greg? All these Apple fanbois need to get a life, but still…Greg seemed more genuine, while Richard is in it for the publicity. Don’t believe me? Look him up on twitter.

  • Jujolone

    Gosh! … David Pogue!

  • DD

    http://gutjahr.biz/blog/2010/04/715-nr-1/

    He was lying, he didn’t have reservations. Google Translate the page from German.

  • charli

    Andrew. Most stores are having 2 lines, one for reserves and one for nons. 5th Ave cause of the staircase can’t really do that so they are having to go with reserves only until 3pm.