The Apple fanboy that I am, I’ve fallen into this crazy habit of checking out Apple stores wherever in the world I happen to be. So, I’m at the Apple Store in Galleria, in St. Louis, Missouri. This is the 24th Apple Store I’ve been to. It’s Monday afternoon, at a mall. The store is busy, but not nearly full. In my hands are a couple of boxes I plucked out of the display shelves, an Apple Battery Charger and a Mophie Juice Pack Reserve. And I pulled out my wallet from the back pocket of my jeans, ready. I’ve been at the store almost an hour. And so far, not a single blue t-shirt has approached me, let alone acknowledged my existence. I waited, and waited, and waited. After almost 2 hours, and after taking the humiliating initiative of finally approaching a blue shirt (who I learned goes by the name Barbara), I can now confidently declare that this Apple Store holds the record for the longest time I’ve been in one without anyone saying hello. Congratulations? Even during peak hours at my favorite Apple Store, the one in 5th Avenue in New York, someone invariably finds the time to say hello within minutes of stepping in, almost without fail.
U P D A T E: It was a very strange feeling to be ignored inside a lively place such as an Apple Store. It feels very surreal, lonely, and surprisingly, offensive.
