Black Friday took on a whole new meaning at a Long Island Wal Mart early Friday morning when a crowd of nearly two thousand shoppers stampeded into the store. A maintainence worker employed by an outside contractor was knocked down, trampled and died of his injuries. Four others including a pregnant woman were sent to the hospital with minor injuries.
Shoppers stepped over the man and continued into the store. The store was closed for several hours while police started an investigation and the injured were dealt with. Many of the shoppers were angry that the store was being closed before they could finish their "shopping." The usual reason was "I've been waiting in line for hours."
Was getting to that Samsung TV so damned important? Spokesmen for the store said that there were barricades outside and extra personnel on duty; obviously it wasn't enough. I truly believe that the retailers want the crowds hyped up and on the verge of stampeding. The more focused the shoppers are on their bargain hunting goals the better. Don't ask any questions. The people in line with you aren't fellow shoppers; the're potential obstacles to your bargain hunting success. They might get to your shopping goal before you do; whether it's that vacuum cleaner, DVD or digital camera. You have to get there first, no matter the cost. Well, the price was pretty damned high on Long Island on an early Friday morning.
You know what's really tragic? The man worked for an outside contractor. I doubt if his benefits included life insurance. Goddess, his poor family.
5 comments:
I've been battling a case of writer's block, but you just reminded me what I wanted to write about...
This stuff is criminal and Wal-Mart should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
And it's not just Wal Mart. People got hurt in a mall in, I think is was Idaho, last year. The store had advertised a certain number of gift bags and were "totally surprised" that so many people showed up. Duh, you'got five hundred bags and over a thousand people outside, you think there might be a teensy, weensy problem when you open the doors?
Black Friday is Capitalism reduced to its most basic, competitive, ugliest side. Arrrrrrrgh!
Add the two numbskulls (oh, I'm sorry, I don't usually call names) who shot each other in California and well, what have we got? Not a whole heck of a lot of holiday spirit, that's for sure.
There is nothing on earth WORTH the price: ONE HUMAN, because life is prescious and maybe, finally, people are going to recognize that all this 'stuff' is on sale all year anyway.
I hate black friday. And cyber monday. They don't even deserve capitol letters.
I was horrified when I heard this on the news. I love to shop, and I love a bargain, and so does my second daughter, who shops for a living (she's a buyer of electronic gadgets, among other things, for a highly successful online site). That said, NEITHER of us went anywhere near a mall or store on Black Friday, because neither of us wanted to deal with those ugly crowds, and ugly is the word. I am appalled that people were angry that the store was closed to conduct an investigation! What are we coming to?
I believe what we're seeing is the inevitable result of the hyper individualistic capitalism that's that's been hyped by followers of folks like Ayn Rand.
Everyone around you is competing for what you want or believe you need. You have to get there first and God help anyone who gets in your way.
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