Yes, the day after Thanksgiving. We spend all Thursday with family and thinking of all the things that we are thankful for. 24 hours later, we become a nation of savages as we fight with one another to get get the best deals at the store before our fellow man can get to them first. In Long Island, people really took their holiday greed to the next level:
From yahoo.com
NEW YORK – A Wal-Mart worker was killed Friday after an "out of control" throng of shoppers eager for post-Thanksgiving bargains broke down the doors at a suburban store and knocked him to the ground, police said.
At least four other people, including a woman eight months pregnant, were taken to hospitals for observation or minor injuries, and the store in Valley Stream on Long Island closed for several hours before reopening.
Nassau police said about 2,000 people were gathered outside the store doors at the mall about 20 miles east of Manhattan. The impatient crowd knocked the man to the ground as he opened the doors, leaving a metal portion of the frame crumpled like an accordion.
"This crowd was out of control," said Nassau police spokesman Lt. Michael Fleming. He described the scene as "utter chaos."
Dozens of store employees trying to fight their way out to help the man were also getting trampled by the crowd, Fleming said. Witnesses said that even as the worker lay on the ground, shoppers streamed into the store, stepping over him.
Kimberly Cribbs, who witnessed the stampede, said shoppers were acting like "savages."
"When they were saying they had to leave, that an employee got killed, people were yelling 'I've been on line since yesterday morning,'" she said. "They kept shopping."
The 34-year-old man was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead at about 6 a.m., police said. The exact cause of death has not been determined, and the man's name was not released.
A 28-year-old pregnant woman was taken to a hospital, where she and the baby were reported to be OK, said police Sgt. Anthony Repalone. At least three other people were taken to hospitals with minor injuries.
Police said criminal charges were possible in the case, but Fleming said it would be difficult to identify individual shoppers. Authorities were reviewing surveillance video.
Wal-Mart Stores Inc., based in Bentonville, Ark., called the incident a "tragic situation" and said the employee came from a temporary agency and was doing maintenance work at the store.
"The safety and security of our customers and associates is our top priority," said Dan Fogleman, a company spokesman. "At this point, facts are still being assembled and we are working closely with the Nassau County Police as they investigate what occurred."
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.
It is sickening. It really is. My favorite part is where they ask people to leave because someone has died and they reply that they had been in line all night. Oh, boo fucking hoo on you. Why don't you stay in line then, but the product you were planning on getting, and then give it to the family of the poor guy who was trampled? I am sure that family is going to have a GREAT Christmas now! Unbelievable...
Despite the horror from this story, I am not against Black Friday. I like to look at all the ads the day before and see if there are any can't pass up deals. I have no problem getting up in the early morning if there is something I really want. I don't resort to mob mentality, but it is fun oging out and being done with going from store to store by 9am. I went out this morning and what I found was a sharp contrast from last year. Last year, I stood in lines for 30-45 minutes to buy something. Parking spaces were hard to come by. Crowds were shoulder to shoulder. Today? Not so much. At the few places we bought things, there were 2 or 3 people in front of us in line. Parking was plentiful. You could shop comfortably without running into people. I am sure our economy has NOTHING to do with this change! Yeah, that was sarcasm...
9 comments:
Wow... That's sad. It's REALLY scary what happens when a group of people get together sometimes...
And yes, the crowds this year were NOTHING compared to last. Is it wrong that I think that's nice (for us)? Yeah, the economy is in the shitter but you and I (thankfully) are doing ok.
Geez, that is a horrible story.
I am never, at the best of times, much of a shopper. This particular weekend is one where I definitely stay out of the stores.
That is very sad and it's sickens me to the point that I will NEVER go out shopping the day after a big holiday.. I will NEVER wait in lineups for something I don't really need .. I suppose the store will be held liable for the man's death because they didn't have proper security measures in place.. You can't take the chance that people aren't going to act like vultures....
my condolences to this poor man's family..
That is a terrible story but doesn't surprise me. The mob turns ugly enmasse. Poor guy. Worse, he was a temp. He was probably so happy to have the assignment. There was a shootout at a Toys R Us in Southern Calif. What are we coming too?
Yeah, I heard it in the news while in the comfort of my home. I just can't believe people will get to that point for a so called bargain. But I guess for many it's a tradition and there are always those that no matter what will act like savages. May that poor sould rest in peace, and may God help that poor family not lose the spirit of what Christmas is all about.
Yeah, when I heard the news about that poor guy I thought it was a pretty sad statement of our society. I love going out early and shopping - looking for deals - but this year there really wasn't any great deals. I have to agree that it did surprise me there weren't as many people. Parking was plentiful. Well - I'm in my element now - tis the season! Merry Christmas everyone!
We didn't go out on Black Friday this year. There wasn't much in the sale papers that caught our attention, and our memories of the madness that was Black Friday 2007 convinced us that we'd be better off sleeping in. It didn't occur to us that the economy would thin some of the crowds.
As for the incidents at Wal-Mart and Toys 'R' Us, I wish I could say I am surprised. Some people don't need any excuse to leave their humanity behind; when asked to leave the Wal-Mart in light of the man's death, shoppers complained that they had been in line since the previous day. So no, I'm not surprised, but I'm disappointed nonetheless. These incidents reminded both of us never to take life for granted.
Wal-Mart will almost definitely be held liable. I just read a statement by a retail workers' union in New York condemning Wal-Mart for "blatant irresponsibility" and insisting that "the family of the deceased...be financially compensated". Maybe I'm missing the point, but I doubt that a $500 gift card to Wal-Mart is going to brighten his family's holiday.
Glad to see you blogging again!
Jack (and Jill)
I was thinking of that incident today and just can't get over how people can be so frenzied about rushing into a store to grab up merchandise. They've totally forgotten the reason we celebrate Christmas.
We went shopping on Black Friday, but didn't venture to the malls. We went to a big store - there were no rushing, barbaric crowds and we had fun looking at all sorts of stuff. Plus, a few of us were happily humming to the Christmas songs they were playing overhead. Only bad thing was that the shopping carts were sparse. So that's really not bad at all.
I read that too. How scary. Here in Iowa, the mall was crazy all day, but supposedly, things are better here economically than they are in other places, so maybe that's why.
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