Black Friday Recap

Consumers risk lives to save a few bucks...

The day after Thanksgiving is considered the first day of the Christmas/Holiday shopping season. It is often called "Black Friday" because it is when retailers that have been operating in the red first turn a profit for the year. A lot of retailers open before the sunrise that day for big sales ending later that same morning. They have always drawn crowds, and frequently caused disputes over a place in line, or the last of a hot item, but this year it got ugly, very ugly. Across the nation, people stampeded when doors were opened, and riots broke out when items the crowds were seeking had run out. Seven fatalities and dozens of injuries have been reported.

The first known fatality occurred at a Wal-Mart in Secaucus, New Jersey, a woman repeatedly stabbed a man with a kitchen knife taken from the housewares section to prevent him from buying the last Xbox 360. Another sad incident transpired at a Tucker, Georgia Toys R Us. One woman bludgeoned another to death with a baseball bat over an American Girl doll. She was heard yelling at her victim, "hasta la vista, baby." Cars were overturned and set on fire in Chicago, while a security guard was beaten to death by an angry mob in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. The first of these incidents involved a DVD player priced at $17.95, and the second was touched off by the Xbox 360. In Columbus, Ohio a shortage of Star Wars toys had shoppers at wit's end when someone yelled, "they've got some over here!" A stampede ensued. Four were left trampled. In Glendale, California, two men fighting over an electronic toy called a Roboraptor knocked over several shelves full of merchandise causing thousands of dollars in destruction.

http://www.uncoveror.com/blackfriday.htm

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Once the doors opened just before 5 a.m., hundreds of people poured through, breaking down the police tape. Dozens of others cut the line and ran through the exit door before Wal-Mart employees were able to stop them.
Inside, Wal-Mart workers were throwing boxes with laptops and portable DVD players to the people who were pushing and shoving to get the merchandise. A lone sneaker lay on the floor, lost by an anxious shopper in the scrum.

http://www.cadenhead.org/workbench/news/2814/black-friday-more-than-i-bargained
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Looking back to the release of the PS3 we can see similar stories of people being shot, robbed, and stabbed all for a piece of hardware. WOW! What drives people to this end. Is taking a life worth a $17.95 DVD player or a $599 Playstation 3.

There comes a time when stores will need to be held accountable for the actions that are CAUSED by their doing. Accountability will be assessed based on the foresight to avoid this instead of contributing to it by have faulty systems to address the chaotic masses.

The Dude Abides.