Trip to the Burlingame Apple Store

It’s about time that I posted something about this, even if just to set the record straight. It’s an interesting story, and I think you might be interested too.

I was in Burlingame for the 2005 California FBLA State Conference. While there, I decided to visit the Burlingame Apple Store because it was the release date of Tiger, the latest version of Mac OS X.

Everyone else in our FBLA Chapter who’d come to the Conference was sitting at a table near the hotel lobby. I told them I was going to the Apple store, and invited them to come with me. Although nobody wanted to come, they had no objections to my going and they told me to go and have a good time.

So I went. I called a taxi and went all by myself.

When I was almost there, Jessica called my cell phone and warned me that I wasn’t supposed to be out alone. Supposedly, we’d get into major trouble with Mr. Jacoby.

Since I was so close, I decided to go and check it out. After all, it’s only the release day of Tiger once.

Here’s where things get interesting. As you may or may not know, Apple had a little promotion going on. They were giving out scratch cards with prizes (such as the chance of winning a free iPod). However, when I walked in, they refused to give me a scratchcard because I’m under 18.

I talked with them, but still they wouldn’t give it to me. They suggested I call a parent to come. I was in Burlingame by myself, without family – so that was not an option for me. The Apple employees recommended it, however, and pointed at other kids like myself who were calling their parents to come just so that they could get scratchcards.

Then, I saw a family walk in, and everyone in the family got a card — including 10 yr old kids. I just had to come with an adult.

So I walked out of the Apple Store, casually, and picked a stranger on the sidewalk who was walking towards the store.

“Hey, are you going to the Apple Store?” I asked.

“Yeah,” he replied. He agreed to go with me, as a “guardian.” He could pretend to be my father, or something. Even though he looked absolutely nothing like me.

We went in, and sure enough, it worked. They handed both of us scratchcards.

I got a free iTunes song. (To this day, I haven’t used it. It probably expires sometime.)

My guardian got 20% off any purchases he made on that day.

Why wouldn’t those Apple people just hand the card to me? They needed my “father” to come.

Well, it worked out. And I called the taxi back.

When I entered the hotel, I snuck in and casually walked up to the group. The other students covered for me, and the trip ended without my ever explaining the story to our advisor.