December 15, 2010 Black Friday
by DAVID BRAUN
Every year countless numbers of people go shopping to find Christmas gifts for their families and friends. Those who are serious about finding bargains always get up early or even stay up all night to get good deals on merchandise they want. The craziest day of them all is Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving. Shoppers stand in lines for hours, run around stores like lunatics, and beat the living daylights out of each other to get what they want.
There are also those people who find this spectacle quite comical and get up early just to experience the event. For the past two years, I’ve gone out in the early morning hours of Black Friday and watched the hysteria unfold. I’ve gone to Walmart both years, and the best way to describe the situation there is out of control. As soon as I pulled into the parking lot this year, I knew I was in for a treat. Nearly every parking spot was taken, but I managed to find one. Upon entering the store I witnessed chaos in the form of sleep-deprived, battle-ready, warriors of the aisle ways. Yes, I’m referring to those brave shoppers who put their lives on the line to save some extra cash during the holiday season. I learned that the situation inside some stores really does get quite intense. I saw people racing each other to get what they wanted and even fighting over products. If you don’t believe me you should go see for yourself!
There are stores like Walmart where you’re likely to find death and destruction, and then there are stores like Best Buy where the madness is far more controlled. I went to Best Buy last year to find a line wrapped around the outer perimeter of the building. Some people came prepared with lawn chairs, fire pits, and even grills. At a store like this, your place in line is more important than your survival skills. Store workers came around and handed out certificates, granting the holder the rights to purchase a designated item. This way people knew if they were going to be able to get what they came for before they even entered the store. As far as I could tell, only a certain number of people were allowed into the store at a time, which kept things quite peaceful, for the most part.
If you plan on being part of the Black Friday madness next year, or any time in the future, I would definitely recommend getting an early start to your night for the best results. If you plan on simply watching the insanity, then enjoy it because it’s quite a scene, but if you plan on attempting to shop, good luck and may God have mercy on your soul.
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