My alarm rang at 7.20; I needed to balance getting enough sleep last night after a show with making sure I was well rested enough for tonight's performance, and still able to have enough time to get in line and make it count.
Though I may be in South Florida, we are in the middle of a cold spell... at least for here; being from New York, 40 degree weather is something to scoff at. However, on a moped, my only form of transportation for independent travel, braced myself for wind chill feeling 15 or less. I put on my 7 layers of clothing, packed my hot tea, my gameboy, a notepad...and jumped onto Dexter- my bike.
Not long after leaving my house my fingers felt frostbitten (not that I know the feeling, but I know the symptoms), and was for the remainder of the journey trying hard to remember that this was supposed to be fun. I continued, trailing behind cars to avoid windchill, and had a much more difficult time in my layers and frozen body avoiding the cars that didn't see me (Florida is notorious for awful driving and traffic just below par of LA- the large elderly count, extreme number of drug/alcohol users, poor laws which allow all phone use, international exchange of some who just plain don't know the driving laws here- all equate to quite a storm).
I arrived at my first store at 8.10. I had been scoping out three nearby locations for over a week on stock, and this location seemed to be the best based on a number of factors: It had the most amiibo, a friendly staff that knew me by name, and was based in an area were I'd seen few people waiting for Rosalina, Lucario, or other release dates, early on; I should note, that only a few means about 8, as I was regularly 7 or 8 in line.
Immediately in denial, I was asking them about the stock, and the laughing foremen were having a ball (they cheered when I drove up, which I maybe should point out). I made a number of jokes and garnished some respect from them (though they lost mine immediately) before knocking on the Best Buy door. The employee answered as if the ****** from the Great and Powerful Oz- opening just a peep of the door. I apologized for the interruption, but told them I was numb from my drive and just wanted to know if I should wait outside for 100 minutes or not. I got my count on inventory... and it was four less than what I had triple checked the day before.
I got back in line and made my first questionable character choice; others asked me how many there were, an I wouldn't reply. I needed to make up my mind about staying or not, and if anyone else chose before I did, or even when I did, they would beat me to the next nearest location, as I was just on a moped.
Though the line thought they had figured me out because I waited another couple of minutes, I ended up quickly heading back to my moped to endure more brutality, Cars continued to drive slower and more irrationally than they ever had, and the wind felt as though I were in fact being attacked by Metaknight's swords.
From a distance at the second location, I could see no one. I questioned any success so early, but felt optimistic. Then, after a break for it to the store- as if someone would come out of there car to beat me- I saw the door opening. ****. Is it an employee telling me they sold out? Is the store closed today for some unexpected flooding? Are a band of angry drivers rallying behind me? No- another hunter opened the door to inform me that the store only had five amiibo. Six people were ahead of me. I stayed inside the double doors to start to garnish some warmth, to be told the same news by the manager.
As I planned my next move, the girl ahead of me, who also was going to miss out, claimed she was waiting for a ride to pick her up. In my next questionable move, I decided to wait before making any options visible. The next stores were too far away at 840, and I was completely thermally deprived. I told more jokes, got some numbers, discussed amiibo. What a fool I was for thinking my hands would be number enough to play my 3DS!!
A slew of other patrons came, some stayed after the manager informed them of the news, others didn't. The girl waiting for her ride never left, and in fact, 6 tickets for the item were just then handed out- to the six people ahead of me. One more item closer...yet near confirmation that I was out of luck. If I had not gone to that first store, I would have beaten THREE people here. Well, hindsight is what it is.
I began my barrage of questions to the manager, helping me understand her personality and my options. My creativity opened up more caveats than the regulations allowed. In a final moment, I asked her about people with preorders, since there was a one per customer policy and the guy in the front of the line, there since 530, planned to get one from his preorder, and an additional one waiting in line. This opened up a very flamed argument enough to reflect how warm I finally was after an hour of heat. My last questionable choice.
He continued to bargain and look for his own caveats, find a friend to come in to take his ticket number, pickup the preorder later-- he went through a number of options, eventually, that I myself would have tried. No luck. The girl behind me in line attempted to offer trades, money, and more. This last third minutes felt longer than the rest of the time combined, as he went back and forth finding an option. My blood, however, was finally energized. For the first time since I arrived at a store, my hope somewhat returned. Either he would take his ticket, which would cancel the preorder, or he would take the preorder, prompting me into the ticket. Or...
His friend did arrive to take the ticket. What would the store do? I felt for him, truly I did- but I wanted this figure more. There were a couple of guys ahead of me who worked at this store or another Best Buy. One of those employees was actually behind me in line.
At 945, an employee in the store came out, and handed a box cutter to this guy. It was a lull before the anticipated release, and an employee had handed his friend in line, directly behind me, a knife. It was at this point I started to actually lose some sense of reason.
At 950, everyone ahead of me, and that guy with the knife, were allowed in. I was going to see what happened with the guy in front, who had given his ticket physically to a friend. It could go either way. I was also a bit baffled as to what the guy behind me was allowed in and I was not.
I knocked, spoke with five employees more frantically than I should about a figurine, and go them o assist. If the first guy could not get his order, then the guy behind me with a knife was going to claim it because they let him in and not me!
I didn't allow this, and I spoke up to know I was doing everything I could. On the horizon, I saw the friend walking out of the store, no amiibo in hand. It was then that I noticed a credit card outside. I picked it up and for a moment, thought about holding it hostage, as someone inside was likely going to miss making a purchase until it was too late and had to leave, when I would return it... I couldn't do that, and turned in the card.
They employee inside checked my ID to make sure I had no amiibo on reserve. I did not. So... in time... I watched everyone walk out of the store, the guy with the knife, the girl with the ticket she was lucky to have, the two guys who beat me to the location by five minutes and went to get breakfast after they got their tickets...
I was finally allowed in. I ran to the counter to see the fate of the guy in front. He started to have it at me in regard to what happened, and I honestly felt really guilt. At the same time, I was only expediting the process he would have gone through... probably. I was next in line and watched his face as they told him he had to choose, for the final time. One final remark between us and we were both threatened to be kicked out.
As his order processed, I told him I'd call him if my mail order actually pulled through. See, I also have one on preorder, and it is being delivered to my house... in theory. That added more to the dilemma of why he was angry. We made some semblance of peace with my offer... and he did walk out with one.
I got to the counter, asked for the recently cancelled preorder, and got out of the store with a Meta Knight. I saw the *smug* guy who had barely beaten me, with a friend, who got breakfast, outside, trading his extra Lucario to the guy who wanted two Meta Knight. Nothing came of the guy handed a knife, or scalper outside, or the angry guy who wanted a Meta Knight to trade, but I still felt terribly, despite the actions everyone in line took. I guarded my amiibo on my way home, thinking someone may honestly to hit me out of passion, even though in reality I'd not called attention to anything that would have been seen.
I can reflect that none of my actions were actually mean, but they may have felt mean spirited in the moment, even if justified. I return at home now after a nap, to try to recover from the break of a chest cold, before I perform tonight.
I really don't think any of this was worth it at all.
shipped :D 
