Fatima and Sherrod spoke after security guards began pushing people off the block shortly after 9 a.m., when the first batch of tickets was gone. Several shoppers said they were told to leave the area and come back around 1:30 p.m. for another chance — and not to linger on the sidewalk as ticket-holders moved through the store.
"Let's go people, let's go. Go home," one security guard positioned outside The Polymarket was heard shouting to the crowds just after 9 a.m. Sunday. "Do not linger, do not look, do not watch. Please go home."
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Some shoppers slammed the setup — and the mad dash for tickets — while early arrivals said security kept the line safe.
"Security's been phenomenal," said Nick, who was fourth in line and received a ticket without problems. "This morning, there was a drunk guy over here harassing a lady. And I was telling him to go. And the head security guy, he saw that we were in trouble, and he did his job and got him out of here. Protecting us."
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Sumayah said the process inside could feel uncomfortable to some, as shoppers are paired with someone who moves them through the aisles.
"Someone shops with me and I’m kind of uncomfortable with that," she said. "I also understand because sometimes you might have some people that want to overdo it and grab like 10 of something… but the person that I was with, they kind of rushed me through things and I couldn’t get all the stuff that I wanted."
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"I even met a woman that came from India yesterday and she was like, ‘Oh my God, I’m in line. I’m coming to get free food,’" Sumayah said. "I’m thinking like, how should I get back on the plane with that?"
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"Shoot, I used to spend on average $300 to $500 on groceries," said Jaquan, who caught the A train to get to the market Sunday morning. "I used to live with my mom, so that made it even worse. Right now I'm homeless, I live in a drop-in center."
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Nick said choosing to wait for hours to get a ticket was worth it, noting it would save him as other expenses build up.
"I’ve switched to fast food and it’s taking a hit on my health," he said, adding he was already a month behind on his phone bill because grocery costs came first.
