iPods, iTunes and iCantTakeIt!

How Apple iPods ruined my holidays

iPods, iTunes and iCantTakeIt!

After moving to Washington, DC, from Hotlanta, Dirrrty South, I landed a job at Verizon Wireless. I originally had a job at a furniture store, but the manager and I had different opinions of my performance. I guess all breakups are like that.

During my interview for VZW, I was told about the new VZW store. They were kiosks inside of Circuit City. Interesting. I guess it isn't much different than working for RadioShack. People come in looking for every and anything but a wireless phone and it is our duty to strap a phone to their hip and fill up the register with Benjamin Franklins.

I began, of all times to begin a retail job, the first week of December. Why me!?

Almost immediately I had someone approach the kiosk. "Welcome to Verizon Wireless..." and before I could even finish, I was interrupted by a weary customer, "Where the iPods?"

After explaining I wasn't an employee of Circuit City, the customer looked at me suspiciously as if I was hiding the iPods. Not really one for MP3 players or iTunes, I didn't think much of it.

Next customer, "Where the iPods?" Following customer, "Where the iPods?" Four for four, "Where the iPods?" Cinco de My Goodness, "Where the iPods?" Finally, "Where that iTunes thingy?"

Instantly I realized that I was behind the times. The iPod became the new Cabbage Patch, Beanie Baby and ZipZaps rolled up in one. Every kid was asking Santa for it, and every parent who couldn't get their hands on one knew not even a white Christmas would save them from the wrath of their child.

Though not an employee of Circuit City, I recommended they simply get their child an MP3 player until more iPods were in stock. They looked at me as if I suggested buying their child a book to read.

And that's when I realized it wasn't about the iPod or listening to iTunes. It wasn't even about listening to digital music or stealing songs off the Internet. This was a classic case of another marketing campaign that absolutely drove consumer eletronic sales associates insane.

The minute you see that white cord dripping out someone's ears, you knew they were different. There was something about them. All these yuppies running around listening to Tom Jones were all of the sudden cool. Imagine that.

As for the sales associates who had to endure the crush of iPod seekers and iTunes fiends, that white cord simply looks like a perfect strangle cord.

Fortunately, though, I got me an iPod, just out of spite for those who couldn't.