FTFA: "Shoppers around the country line up early outside stores on the day after Thanksgiving in the annual bargain-hunting ritual known as Black Friday. It got that name because it has historically been the day when stores broke into profitability for the full year."
I always thought it was because it was an evil day.
FTFA: "Police said the temporary worker, Jdimytai Damour, was mowed down as about 2,000 bargain-hunters surged into the store at Friday's 5 a.m. opening."
This is why I never have and never will shop on Black Friday.
I can't even imagine the panic of people in the middle of a Black Friday crowd. Why anyone puts themselves through that craziness is beyond me.
and What the heck kind of name is Jdimytai? Did his mother pick letters out of a bag?
Other workers were trampled as they tried to rescue the man, and customers stepped over him and became irate when officials said the store was closing because of the death, police and witnesses said.
The people who didn't want to leave because the store became the crime scene of a manslaughter are the most disgusting filth ever to stick to the soles of humanity.
When they release the inevitable video, you're going to see people looking down, stepping on the guy, and then moving right on. Not making any attempt to avoid him or help him.
I stopped shopping on the Friday after Thanksgiving long before they started calling it Black Friday. I can no longer take people, except in small doses.
This was just a reminder of why we should never underestimate stupid people in large numbers.
a guy just died.... but....
"Items on sale at the Valley Stream Wal-Mart included a Samsung 50-inch Plasma HDTV for $798, a Bissel Compact Upright Vacuum for $28, a Samsung 10.2 megapixel digital camera for $69 and DVDs such as "The Incredible Hulk" for $9".
Glad they included these pertinent details at the end of the story
There's a special place in hell for people who think a 9$ copy of The Hulk is worth killing for.
What makes this even more tragic is that the deals this crowd were after were not that great.
Come on, people, when was the last time a WalMart ran out of merchandise?
It takes a "special" person to get up at 3am for Black Friday..... and not in a good way.
The idea that somehow saving an extra .01% is somehow a big deal has been drilled into people's heads to the point that insane shoppers will trample anyone who gets in their way--and the concept that being in the store at 5:01 instead of 5:05 somehow makes the savings better.
Ever go shopping, you're looking at some shelf and some guy looms behind you looking for the same shit, or makes it like you're in their way? Chances are if you weren't there, they wouldn't be looking there, they'd be looking elsewhere, those are the kind of people that go shopping on Black Friday.
I do like how the spokesman for Wal-Mart strategically said "despite all of our precautions"
Walmart does have some liability though - they of all people should know how stupid and bordering on feral most of their customers are.
They allowed a massive crowd to assemble that was clearly beyond the capacity of the doors to handle, and they created the circumstances that led to a riot-like environment (I predict the "blitz line starts here" sign hanging on the store wall will be used as evidence against them). They deliberately fueled a mob scene with predictable results.
Other stores take adequate security measures and implement effective crowd control procedures. They ensure that people are cordoned off such that they can't stampede.
They should have handed out tickets for the doorbuster items. You don't have the right ticket, you can't buy the item. That takes the footrace out of the equation.
Best Buy in Washington had an employee go out into the line at 3AM and hand out tickets to the first people in line for the premiere items. No ticket, no reason to make a mad dash for the cheap HDTV, and no trampling deaths.
Plus, there was probably some local capitalism going on afterwards. "Hey kid, I'll give you 30 bucks for that ticket."
This is called 'managing' and obviously very well done here. Amazing isn't it how often something so simple as asking questions and speaking calmly can defuse a potentially dangerous situation.
Ultimately, this whole thing is just a sad metaphor for consumerism. Why would anyone waste so many hours of their life waiting on line to "save" money on things that are by no means essential? You know what "saves" money? Not buying shit you or your friends/family don't really need. But we've (Americans anyway) all willingly gulped down that Kool Aid. Consume. Obey. Do Not Question Authority. No Independent Thought. Shop smart. Shop S Mart.
I refuse to shop on Black Friday. The 'great deals' usually aren't.
The whole Black Friday thing needs to die a quick death. It should be strongly discouraged for stores to hype up this single day. It should be strongly discouraged for the media to breathlessly report on the latest idiot who has been in line since 4pm Thanksgiving day.
Make it "Sale Weekend!" and extend the thing Fri-Sat-Sun if you really must, but no more of these stupid doorbuster or blitzkrieg type cattle calls.
Anybody besides me waiting for the inevitable claim of "PTSD induced by trampling over WalMart worker"? One of these tramplers will find a lawyer who will file a suit on their behalf, suing WalMart, the dead guy's family, the media, and Baby Jebus (cuz it's his birthday) for causing him/her to trample the poor slob.
At the end of the day, it all starts with some asshole who thinks it's okay to shove the person in front of them.
