Peace of mind

Visiting an Apple Store should always feel safe.

To live in the United States in 2022 is to live with a low-level awareness that your personal safety is in jeopardy any time you step into a public space. That’s why when an SUV barreled through the windows of Apple Derby Street last week, killing one and injuring at least 19 others, many feared an intentional attack was planned. The driver claims his foot was stuck on the accelerator, but the outcome was just as devastating as coordinated violence.

The Derby Street Shops have a layout similar to many suburban strip malls. Rows of outdoor storefronts face a massive parking lot, and vehicles park perpendicular to each store entrance. Apple Derby Street was somewhat insulated from the asphalt by a small plaza, but there were no bollards to stop a vehicle from crashing through.

I studied every Apple Store in the car-addled United States to see how common bollards actually are. 97 of the 272 stores in the country have public entrances that are directly connected to a parking lot or roadway. Of these, I identified 36 locations that are already protected by bollards or other effective safety barriers. That means 61 stores — Derby Street included — are completely vulnerable to vehicles or protected by arguably inadequate barriers. I am not publishing the list here for obvious security and safety reasons.

To Apple’s credit, most stores built within the last few years are well-protected. Apple clearly understands the growing safety risk and has demonstrated it is willing to accept the aesthetic tradeoff of bollards. Whatever it would cost to retrofit older locations is irrelevant when lives are on the line. This is a “simple” and necessary fix.

In 2011, a thief intentionally crashed into Apple Friendly Center. In 2012, a thief intentionally crashed into Apple Promenade Temecula. In 2012, thieves intentionally crashed into Apple Leawood. In 2013, a vehicle crashed into Apple Lincoln Park. In 2014, thieves intentionally crashed into Apple 4th Street. In 2016, thieves intentionally crashed into Apple Palo Alto. In 2018, a vehicle crashed into the building directly next to Apple Michigan Avenue. In 2018, a thief intentionally crashed into Apple 4th Street. In 2018, thieves intentionally crashed into Apple Highland Village despite the presence of bollards. In 2019, thieves intentionally crashed into Apple Highland Village despite the presence of bollards. In 2022, a vehicle drove through South Shore Plaza on its way to the Apple Store because a bollard was missing. Many of these incidents occurred outside of store hours, but some did not.

Apple Stores are fun to visit, but they’re also high-profile targets filled with valuable merchandise that thieves (somehow) still don’t realize is not so valuable the moment it leaves the store. Apple Stores are beautiful destinations, but they’re also blank canvasses on which others can project their feelings about one of the largest companies in the world. We expect Apple to safeguard our lives on our iPhones. We should expect that same peace of mind when visiting a store.

Temporary bollards were placed outside of Apple Derby Street over the holiday weekend.

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Featured image

Apple Derby Street

Photo via Elissa Levin Davis.

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PS: The all-new Apple White City opens in London on December 8.