Monday, August 28, 2017

Mac Attack Chapter 3- The "Genius" Bar

As originally posted on my FB page:

Hello everyone following the story about my Mac getting hacked and apologies for the delay on part 3. I've been on the road all day today. I drove to Richmond because my Mom is undergoing surgery tomorrow. Nothing major i assure you, but wanted to be here nonetheless. The really good news is the drive gave me a lot time to reflect on this whole episode. Without further adieu, part 3!
I'm waiting in my mind quite patiently, for the Apple store "geniuses" to come and get me. I'm surrounded by similarly situated individuals seated uncomfortably close to one another. A lady seated close to me was dealing with an iphone that she was getting reset or replaced. She seemed to be handling it well. Almost as though it wasn't her first time? There's a projector screen on the wall directly in front of me displaying cartoonish looking images. I was not entertained. I hesistated to pull out my Samsung S5 fearing the "Genius Bar"overlords may bannish me from the store. 
The place is literally crawling with people! I look around and thought at least there was some decent guy candy working at the "Genius Bar". If i'm gonna have to wait for someone to help me, at least it might be some hot 20-something who'll be easy on the eyes. Nope!
After between a 5 and 10 minute wait, a middle-aged white dude (MWD) appears behind me asking if he could help me with my issue. I didn't even see this guy until he popped up. Where did he come from! Anyway, at this point it didn't matter as long as i got my computer unlocked. He could have been Kim Jong Un and i wouldn't have cared. He asked me to follow him to an undisclosed location 20 feet away and then asks me "why are you here?" Why am i here?! Shouldn't you know the answer to that question already? Instead of vocalizing my frustration with the opening salvo, i decided it wasn't worth the energy and began to open up my hacked Mac to show MWD exactly what my issue was.
Right on cue, my hacked Mac takes its sweet time "waking up" and MWD decides not to waste the add'l 15 seconds for my Mac to boot up. He restarts a convo he apparently brought me in to witness, with another unfortunate soul he's seated me directly across from. I realized at that moment i was an unwitting accomplice to rush this customer and his daughter with Down Syndrome out of MWD's presence. POS! He ends his business with them with an apology for not being able to help them and unceremoniously sends them on their way. Again, they didn't put up a fuss i'm guessing because the father didn't want to upset his daughter. Let the record reflect once again how much of a POS MWD is!
Things are already not looking so good for me, but i thought surely to goodness MWD would be able to help ME. Afterall i was told to come to the store and my issue could be resolved. So I show him my screen and immediately he looks flustered. He then says "I know what that screen is and i'm not going to be able to help you unless you have proof of ownership." Proof of ownership?! Why wasn't i told i would need to provide this the day before by tech support over the phone? "I'm not sure, but they should have told you. Your Mac has either been reported lost or stolen and you'll need to be able to prove the Mac belongs to you. Technically whoever hacked your Mac is the current owner of the machine." At this point, i'm absolutely livid as you might imagine. I'd waited 24+ hours, driven 20+ minutes and tolerated a trip to the mall to be told i'd have to prove i owned my computer?! I couldn't hide my frustration, I WAS PISSED and made sure MWD knew it!
To be clear, i was very controlled in my admonishment of both MWD and his Apple "Genius Bar"brethen. I know the drill, if you get too loud or come across as the least bit threatening, they'll shut you down or worse call the cops. As a black man in the south, i've learned that isn't a road i want to travel. I calmly but directly explained to MWD that Apple had failed at every turn in this process including but not limited to: 1) creating an avenue for my Mac to be hacked, 2) not addressing my issue over the phone the day before, 3) not informing me that i would need proof of ownership, 4) not knowing what my issue was prior to my arriving and 5) the lack of communication from tech support to the "Genius Bar" about this being a ransomware issue. MWD was starting to sweat and began apologizing profusely. He wasn't quite sure what to do to remove himself from this sh!t show unfolding before him, but i didn't let up. I was going to make for d@mn sure he knew how unhappy i was and how many ways Apple's "Genius Bar"had failed. And fail they did, at every possible turn!
For a place calling itself the "Genius Bar" there didn't seem to be any working in the store at that time of my visit which prompted MWD to recommend we CALL tech support... from the store!
And thus concludes part 3. I think part 4 should be the last installment, but can't make any promises. As i recollect the events of the last 72 hours, i'm also reliving each moment viscerally and it's caused me to go into greater detail. Bare with me and i'll make sure your patience with me pays off. Just a heads up, my mom's surgery is today so i'm not 100% sure i'll be able to get to part 4 until Tuesday. I will do my best to get it posted later today though. Don't want to leave y'all hanging for too long. I'm not Apple's tech support. Oh snap!

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