You’re in Best Buy, and see a fellow in a blue shirt, khakis, and black shoes. You know, the Best Buy uniform. He’s friendly, smiles, doesn’t try to run away from you when you approach. What gives?
If you live in Manhattan, chances are it may not be a Best Buy employee, but a member of Improve Everywhere on their latest stunt. Around 80 people in Best Buy logo-free blue polos filed into the Manhattan store within 15 minutes of each other. The post-op write up would make a SWAT team proud, including redundant video and digital camera footage, what went right, and what went wrong.
It’s a great read, and the videos are pretty interesting as well.
I think they stayed longer than was optimal, but man, I love these performance swarms. Saved in my library w’ tag “Art”.
I cracked up when I read the bit about the security/mgrs yelling “Thomas Crown Affair!” and this exchange between guards: “One did not think it was funny at all and the other said he thought it was “kinda funny,” and tried to explain the humor, “What if you went into Home Depot and there were all these people wearing orange aprons all over the store?” “That’s completely different.”"
I liked the suggestion in the comments on how their exit should have been via other improvers (all dressed in another outfit — sweaters? white Ts?) picking their sweeties up all at once. Sort of giving the show an ending.
That Agent Simmons is kind of cute. Je ne sai quois.
Interesting comments on this at http://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2006/05/people_trusting.html
esp. regarding threat evaluation, body language, and comments by Agent Shafer.