Why I Hate Black Friday

[apatrimo94]

It annoys me greatly that people care more about that 50% off than the people who are getting trampled to death. People are selfish idiots sometimes.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Alollxc67oo[/ame]

 

[wildheart]

That is horrible AP. I thought it would be a pleasant gathering.

Your link takes me to the wrong place.

 

[apatrimo94]

Linky, I fixed it. And it may sound like a pleasant experience but it's not.

Last year, a man died trying to get into Wal-Mart. He fell down, and couldn't get up because peoplewere running on top of him just to get into the store. It's sad, really.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nv-pUeY2jys]YouTube - Man Trampled by Black Friday Stampede and dies (CBS)[/ame]

 

[nofearengineer]

Actually, apat....that poor guy worked there. So basically, he got trampled to death for minimum wage.

Where I live, I actually try to go to the grocery store, dept store, etc. that is slightly more expensive than Wal Mart. It hurts the wallet a bit, but the atmosphere is soooo much more pleasant. I once waited 51 minutes in a checkout lane at Wal Mart. It was like I was in a queue for a roller coaster or something. That night was a turning point for me.

 

[wildheart]

I understand now why they call it BLACK Friday. But how did this tradition start and why is it still continuing if it is so unpleasant? Here Christmas shopping is only a nightmare on pay dates but still not a fraction of what you are explaining.

I remember the movie with Arnold Schwarzenegger where he tried to get the toy for his son and all of it was sold out. I suppose due to the discounts on Black Friday if you leave a gift till later you wont find it.

 

[nofearengineer]

This might sound odd coming from a staunch capitalist pig like myself....but frankly, unintelligent consumerism is way out of control in this country (elsewhere too, I'd imagine). Frankly, the mindless drones absolutely must have the latest cheap piece of crap a factory in China can belch out and some slick marketing team in NY can figure out how to sell to them for a profit.

I like money a lot. But these idiots are a real annoyance. They do their damndest to ruin Christmas every year.

 

[apatrimo94]

Basically, black Friday occurs the Friday after thanksgiving. Store put their entire stock on sale and give great discounts. They do this to get rid of their entire stock so they can get new shipments for Christmas shopping. A lot of people go crazy on black Friday. At the end of the days, there's always news about people that die or get injured just trying to get into the store. Plus people spend their entire thanksgiving, camping outside the store just to get in first the next day.

 

[wildheart]

Basically, black Friday occurs the Friday after thanksgiving. Store put their entire stock on sale and give great discounts. They do this to get rid of their entire stock so they can get new shipments for Christmas shopping.

That is a very clever marketing strategy, it is just sorry that it is at the expense of innocent people.

I suppose the people who do camp out are the ones who do not really have a lot of money. They maybe do this because they also try their best to give to the ones they love.

Then there are also people who are just greedy.

 

[Von1983]

How awful and mindless. I hope those people enjoyed their bits of tat and thought they were worth it.

I think our equivelent is the January sales. Clears out old stock ready for the new at rock bottom prices. People camp overnight for Next. A clothes shop???

Luckily it doesn't become fevered but that's probably down to the old joke with some truth: If there was an Olympic event in queing, Britain would win.

 

[SharonC]

Good Grief!!!

We have the usual Christmas rush every year, but people are still civil!

 

[apatrimo94]

Yeah, I love Black Fridays, but lately for the past few years ( with this recession), there are people who will do the craziest things just to save a buck, even if it involves hurting someone.

Last Week, at my school, Nike (the shoe company) came to my school and gave out colored shoelaces to kids. There were 6 fights and 11 kids suspended because they fought over getting those shoelaces. As I said, people are selfish idiots sometimes and take the pleasure out of the good spirit.

 

[Beilana]

All for........things. Sad.

 

[ladymorraine]

I hate shopping Black friday. I'll skip it and not buy as much. I don't have an extreme amount of money and it would be nice to get my kids everyting they ask for, but it's not worth dealing with everyone else. I went a couple times, and it was horrible. Hello Ebay.

 

[Alienation]

People are selfish idiots MOST of the time, unfortunately.

We don't have anything like that in Australia. We have sales on Boxing Day and during January, but it's never like that. Busy, but not crazy and life threatening. The only place you're likely to get trampled here is at a concert, and even then that's extremely rare for people to actually die.

 

[bogo1]

The term black Friday is given also because stores count on Christmas sales to put their account books in the black. There are always ugly stories each year about people forgetting human decency in their lust for that years big thing. That said, my son's JROTCMC unit donated their Friday and Saturday to stand on a busy street corner in our town and those same crazed customers gave them over $12,000 for the USMC's Toys for Tots program. Most ...the vast majority of black Friday shoppers are regular folk but it is the crazies who make it on U-tube.