4/6/09 - User: organik - My Pics and Video from the April 4th Event

[organik]

Since I can't post to the "User Submitted Pics" topic, I'll post links here.

Parking for the event was a pain, but the event I thought went smoothly and was well planned. I didn't get to sit in the 2e, because the line was too long, and by the time I got close, it drove off for test drives. Doh! That's OK, I'll have plenty of time to sit in it in traffic in so. cal.

Pics on Flickr (http://www.flickr.com/photos/organikrecords/sets/72157616338908715/detail/)

Short Video on YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4wp6nEo4fo)

[speculawyer]

Is this the line for test drives?
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3641/3417890525_be74abd124.jpg

That amount of interest must be a bit gratifying.

[organik]

nope, just the line to get in...but the line to sit in the car was about as long. Only people who won 10 test rides in the raffle got one. Anybody could wait in line to sit in it, which I did, then gave up, then joined the line later only to have the car drive away to start giving the raffle winners their rides. I'm sure I'll become intimately familiar with sitting in the 2e when I'm stuck on the 405.

[Gena]

I was disappointed in certain aspects of the event...

the information about attending was poorly organized. i did appreciate that they opened the event up to more than the initial 450 people, but to give us all the "reserve this date" and then not tell us when on that day it would be or when we would need to reply... that wasn't cool.

i took the whole day off from work (which, it turned out, i didn't need to do) and then was AT work when they sent the original invite out, so i didn't get in at first....

ok - so that was that, and i got "in" with the 2nd round.

they were SO VAGUE about what and when you were attending that i really didn't know when to be there until i found the info on this forum.

ok - so, i went. i ended up working that day anyway, so i got there about 6:30. i went IMMEDIATELY to the back to get in line to sit in it - no one mentioned it would be an outdoors event (glad i brought a coat).

I stood in line forever, but it was moving along and i made great friends with the two couples in front of me (Gene & Jackie and Todd & Julia - hi guys!) but about an hour into waiting, someone from aptera took the back half of the line and moved it up to the passenger side of the vehicle. until then, the line had been basically splitting between the two. now, with all of those people at the passenger side (and all i can think of is that Cici's pizza commercial.... "did you just 'LINE JUMP' me????") the line slowed to a crawl!

and LITERALLY, the group of us 5 were the NEXT ONES to get in the car when they drove it away to do the test drives.... WHAT?! we had been waiting 2 hours to sit in the car and they are telling us... "oh - it will just be going on those test drives and it will be back..." - umm... YEAH - TEN test drives!!!!!

they brought the older version for us to sit in (not the same) and i sat in it for the photo op, then chatted with my new friends, left, AND stood out front taking about 15 or 20 minutes to take the video that i posted on youtube.com (genabena852) and STILL the car wasn't back... we were supposed to just wait?

I don't know... i hope they are better at building this car than they are at having an event!

[JimmyDreams]

Gena...

I know some of the info I found on this forum, but MOST of the info that you needed was in emails and/or on the invitation itself. The time/location etc., was available on the invite, and an email from Aptera told me to bring a jacket since some of the event would be outside.

While I think it could have been done a little better, I think Aptera managed to pull off a pretty well-run event.

I think we should all cut Aptera some slack...I'm sure each gathering will get better and better and more streamlined. Remember, these people are trying to build us a great car....they're not Martha Stewart, who could flawlessly host one of these events!!!

[Gena]

Jimmy,

Honestly, my comments and detail about the event WERE giving them some "slack".

I actually was MUCH kinder than some people around me. And the invitations only said to "keep the day open" and then that there was a viewing from 10am to 10pm.... i don't think that is very "clear". only at the end did they mention the 10am-6pm and 6pm-10pm difference. I did not notice anything about bringing a jacket - granted, i might have missed it since they sent me several emails that all seemed to really say the same thing - with no additional information.

Yes - like i said, i hope they build a car better than hosting an event, but keep in mind that people from OC, Sacramento and SF will be viewing this and they need to understand some of the "issues". And, yes, hopefully Aptera will learn from this event and it will go smoother, however, they will ALSO be out of their "neighborhood", so there is a much greater chance that there will be a problem...


BTW, their "issues" with hosting this event have NOT swayed me in the idea to purchase! Those "issues" are not that serious. However, they do need to be aware of issues which arise... And i would be foolish to not comment on them.

[bernardo7092]

thanks for the photos...