Grand Central Apple Store's Grand Opening Draws Cheers And Jeers

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork)  -- A crowd of Apple enthusiasts assembled outside of the company's new store at Grand Central Terminal on Friday.

Apple fans began trickling in as early as Thursday morning to get a spot in line for the grand opening of Apple's newest store.

LISTEN: WCBS 880 Alex Silverman reports

WCBS reporter Alex Silverman came upon two members of the crowd on 42nd Street early Friday. Robert Davis, his head buried under a blanket, and his 19-year-old son Jacob, had been waiting since 9 a.m. Thursday. The pair traveled all the way from Albany so that Apple lover Jacob could be in the city for the store's opening.

Robert viewed the overnight vigil as his fatherly duty.

"He's my son and he's an Apple fanatic. He loves the machines and he even gave me one for Father's Day," he said.

A giddy Jacob added, "It's also close to where we live, sort of. We came down all the way from Albany."

Although he had been waiting for nearly 24 hours, Jacob remained unsure of what he would purchase once inside the Mecca of iProducts.

"I haven't decided what I'm going to buy, whether it will be of substantial value or not," said Jacob.

But not everybody shares their enthusiasm. An online petition launched on Change.org wants Apple to commit to building an iPhone and other devices without gold, tin, tantalum and tungsten mined in eastern Congo. The mines that produce those minerals are the crux of a violent conflict in the region that has cost almost 3 million people their lives.

LISTEN: 1010 WINS Glenn Schuck reports 

So far 10,000 people have signed the petition.

The group circulating the petition had threatened to protest the opening of the Grand Central location. Only about a dozen protesters showed up outside the store.

Did you or someone you know make the wait outside of Grand Central? Let us know in our comments section below...