Demand in Action

After selling out to Dell so that they could experience the same joys I did this morning, the Henrico County (Virginia) School District sold their collection of used iBooks to the general public. Apparently they underestimated the demand.

RICHMOND, Va. – A rush to purchase $50 used laptops turned into a violent stampede Tuesday, with people getting thrown to the pavement, beaten with a folding chair and nearly driven over. One woman went so far as to wet herself rather than surrender her place in line.

Maybe they should have held a silent auction.

Wednesday, 17 August 2005: The Washington Post ran the story today. While the crowd failed to show polite restraint and respect for their fellow citizens, the administrators of the Henrico County schools, who undervalue the iBooks, priced them well below their market value.

The Richmond Times-Dispatch has a nice photograph of the rush, some statistics, and commentary on the incident which, in addition to the typical errors in logic and fact which pepper most undergraduate works, includes this delicious quote from a citizen

“My tax money is going toward total idiots,” [Linda] Dunn said of those who planned the event.