We were surprised by the size of the line of people waiting for the iPad 2 outside the Apple Store at University Village this afternoon — stretching all the way around the block and requiring Apple employees to confer with mall security to figure out where to put people so as not to disrupt traffic. (They ended up doubling the line back upon itself to make room.)

So who was at the front of this madness? Otto Wiskerchen, 41, of Montlake Terrace, who tells GeekWire’s John Cook his story in this video.

Just how big was the line? Here’s John walking the entire thing a little bit after 4 p.m.

We’re told there were 120 people working in the store today. When the doors opened, customers entered to the U2 song “Where the Streets Have no Name,” followed by another Apple favorite, The Beatles, with “Magical Mystery Tour.” This was the scene at the entrance.

And more ..

We talked with a bunch of people in line beforehand, including some real characters, so stay tuned for more in a follow-up post. In the meantime, here are some photos from inside the store.

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