14 DAY TRIAL // The San Jose Mercury News reports one of the most ridiculous events occurring at an Apple store ever. Apparently the manager of the University Avenue Apple store in Palo Alto chased down four students who had downloaded a third party racing game onto a display iPhone (word sure spreads fast), called the cops on them, lectured them about hacking iPhones, took their picture and banished them not just from that particular store, but from Apple Stores worldwide.
Talk about living on the edge in Palo Alto. OK, so, first of all, how were these kids even able to download a third party game on a display iPhone? How do you hack a device, visit a repository, wait for the game to download and burn some virtual rubber too all during a trip to the Apple Retail Store?
Daniel Fukuba, one of the vicious "criminals", said: "We're halfway down the block when the manager comes running out and tells us to stop right there." The lads were ordered back to the store's premises, after which a security guard and the manager called the police. Sgt. Sandra Brown confirmed that the store called the Palo Alto Police Department, MercuryNews reports. "An officer responded, but made no arrests", the publication reveals. Sgt. Brown said the store gave them an "admonishment" to leave the store. Police didn't force them out.
However, prior to ordering them to scram, the store manager reportedly lectured the teens "on the dangers of "hacking" into the phones". The teens were then photographed and told that Apple Stores worldwide would have their photos with "Wanted" signs on them (I kid, no "Wanted" signs), "so they'd be on the lookout for us", one of the teens stated.
He and the other senior were allowed to leave, while Fukuba and Vicenti (both under 18) had to wait for their parents to come pick them up.
Now here's one for the books: "Fukuba wondered what will happen if he needs to get his computer or iPhone repaired", the San Jose Mercury News reports. "I'll have to get a friend to buy stuff for me, like a drug deal", Fukuba said.
Indeed kiddo, and to think what it takes to become a store manager.
More recently though, one of the teens told ifoAppleStore in a comment that they received an apology from the store manager and were assured they were still welcome at any Apple store. Apple spokesman Steve Dowling denied the teenagers' banishment claim saying: "They were not banned from that store or any other store."
Well, this was a nice ride.