The Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) store at 5th Avenue and 59th Street already has a line of people awaiting the iPhone 6. Based on several media reports, this line started to form three days ago. For the time being, the group is expected to number in the hundreds before the launch, which would put it at two or three blocks at most. For the iPhone 6 to be an astounding success, the line would need to stretch at least 20 blocks, which is a mile, to somewhere just north of the Empire State Building at 34th Street.

According to BusinessWeek, one of the challenges for people camping out on Fifth is hygiene. It is tough to go to the bathroom or take a shower without losing a prime spot. If the line reaches 20 blocks, bathroom facilities in hotels, shops and public toilets would become overwhelmed. New York City may have to bring in dozens of portable toilets, also known in some circles as “rent a thrones.”

New York City may also need to put hundreds of police in the area to control a crowd that may surge violently when the iPhone 6 actually goes on sale. The Fifth Avenue store is a delicate glass cube, with very limited entry space.

In light of the problem, New York and Apple may need to find another venue for the sale of the iPhone 6. Yankee Stadium and MetLife Stadium, where the Giants play, might be options. At least these venues have experience in crowd control.

The city still has four days to solve the iPhone 6 line problem. However, the crowd may get so large by the weekend that officials will have run out of time.

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