My summer job? Wiping up drool puddles at the iPhone launch

Having no experience with customers climbing over each other to get into its retail stores, AT&T is taking no chances with the June 29 launch of Apple’s iPhone. The company has hired an extra 2,000 people to help with sales and security during the initial wave of demand, half of whom may stay on board if the iPhone brings in as much new business as AT&T hopes. The prized gadget will go on sale at 1,800 stores at 6 p.m. sharp next Friday, and Larry Carter, senior vice president of sales for AT&T, said, “We fully expect one or more of our stores to run out of stock on the first or second day — my guess is the first day.” Units are being allotted according to estimated regional demand, so places like California, New York City and Chicago with large iPod user bases, will have the best stock. And if you have a buy-and-resell-or-hoard plan, forget it — AT&T will limit purchases to an unspecified number. An early report that iPhone customers won’t learn the details of their calling plans until they’re standing in line next week is now being denied. AT&T spokesman Mark Siegel told iLounge the separate voice and data plans will be revealed pre-launch and that “it’s not going to be anything

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