Judging from the reaction on the web, people aren’t having too hard of a time getting the new Palm Pre at Sprint stores across the country. But last night, one woman was apparently so concerned that she wouldn’t be able to get one that she sped her car to a Sprint store — wait, let me rephrase that — she sped her car into a Sprint store.
Check out the video embedded below from NBC Chicago. It’s pretty incredible. Joking aside, I highly doubt the elderly woman behind the wheel actually wanted a Pre and more importantly, she was fine aside from a few bruises. But as you can see, the store didn’t fare so well. And it was probably the worst time something like that could have happened given the Pre launch today.
The store apparently said it would still be ready for the 8 AM launch. Anyone in Chicago know if they made it? Perhaps having absolutely no storefront helped with the crowd flow. Let’s just hope they cleaned up the broken glass and picked up the poor fallen giant Pre display.
[via PalmPre.org]
[photo: Jesus Leal Jr.]
In terms of publicity, it was a great thing that could happen. Now, everyone in Chicago has heard of the Pre and this particular store. How much would the equivalent amount of advertising time be worth?
Crazy Grandma. LOL. Here’s a new web sensation.
http://www.twibeo.com
The Twitter and FriendFeed combo.
Please ban this URL spammer
i didn’t click your link.
It’s odd how many stores people “Drive into” on a seemingly regular basis. Not that I’m suggesting it, but I imagine it’s not such a bad way to get local news (or even national) coverage for a business. “We were about to launch this new product when BAM someone crashed into our store.” Hell, it could even get you on TechCrunch.
I too think her real goal was to get onto TechCrunch.
Have you ever considered leaving TC and going to work for the Onion?
I think my real goal is to *turn* TC into The Onion.
It’s fun to replay the beginning over and over for two reasons:
1. You get to watch the guy fall on his ass over and over and take out the Pre display.
2. The shelves along the wall crumble. It almost makes we want to avoid shelves in stores from now on.
Bottom line — crazy.
This reminds me of that episode of South Park where all the old people are like Zombies killing everybody by driving on the road. I wish South Park would do an episode on tech culture and turn Winer/Arrington into characters.
Anyone else notice that the sprint guys didn’t go and see if they person was ok?
Reason #1 why I wouldn’t shop at a Sprint store: Sprint employees couldn’t care less to come check my well being, or maybe why why what happened just happened. Thankfully there are always passing by strangers who are always concerned.
Thankfully, no one cares for the service to be shopping at that time! So no one was hurt.
I second your observation. Once a year or so ago my cousin and I walked into a Sprint store and asked to see one of the new touch phones that has had come out recently. The employee just said NO you can’t. We simply turned around and walked away.
I work for a competitor, and while I’m glad the woman is okay, I find it hysterical that the Sprint employees didn’t even go over there to see how she was doing. They were too busying Twittering ‘what the &*$# – some dumb **tch just drove into our store…’
I think, she was not very quite so they actually *could* hear her screaming „i wanna my Pre right now!“
Yeah, I could see the employees being a little paralyzed by the shock of what just happened, but then the dude on the right pulled out his phone and started typing/txting.
What kind of jerks just stand there in their store and dont even approach to see if she is OK?
Wow. I find it horribly disgusting those gentlemen (or lack there of) didn’t even attempt to find out if the woman was ok. Sprint should be totally ashamed of these 2 employees. Regardless of what just happened, the well being of that woman should take priority.
Unless Sprint takes great pride in hiring staff lacking humanity.
Unbelievable…
This might explain all the SF Muni bus drivers who regularly plow their vehicles into corner markets for a pack of cigarettes.
That might explain all the SF Muni bus drivers who regularly plow their vehicles into the storefronts of corner markets…
Maybe they just need cigarettes?
I like how they just stand there in the store looking. Don’t even try to help. I thought the one guys was going to pick up the Pre sign that fell down.
this story is amazing i’m thinking of paying my land lord a visit!
Yikes! Glad to hear she’s alright. Clean up the glass, cover the opening with a curtain, and you’re ready for business, eh?