14 DAY TRIAL // This weekend reports came in and they say that about ten people were the first to form a waiting line in front of Apple's flagship Fifth Avenue Store in New York City, as they're sitting and waiting for the iPhone 3G to become available. In what was probably not the smartest move a parent could make, the first people to join the queue had also brought a baby with them in an attempt to set a world record - all the more as cold rainy weather had been announced for the weekend.
Gear Diary claims that Dan, one of the guys sitting in line, told security guards that their goal was to set a record for the most time spent in a waiting line. Even more, they are also attempting to set a world record for the baby, who would become the first to wait this long as well. The interviewers called it "nonsense," and we agree: "about 10 people in line with the first two being a man and woman with a young child. The security guards will allow everyone to stay and indicated that as of yet there are no plans to put out barricades," the source notes.
The new iPhone 3G will become available this Friday, July 11. Gear Dairy also has pictures from outside the store, showing people prepared for the seven-day wait with fold-up chairs and more.
With all this going on at Apple's Retail Store on Fifth Avenue, some folks still aren't convinced this is an actual iPhone line, but rather a publicity stunt. "It's not clear if Daniel or anyone else in the waiting line will actually purchase an iPhone when they finally get inside the store," reads the Gear Diary piece. "The weather is in the low 70s overnight, but the weekend forecast is for thunderstorms and rain."
Macnn points out that iPhone 3G is expected to lead to heavy demands on the AT&T staff, as revealed by a leaked AT&T memo. According to the document, AT&T employees will have to work overtime to help simply run iPhone from storage to clerks, "to facilitate unbricking." The carrier is "further pressuring workers to take extra four- to seven-hour shifts in other unorthodox roles for launch weekend, such as Greeter, Crowd Manager or Floor Coordinator," the same source explains.