Black Friday /rant

[Apex]

[rant]
So I was supposed to sleep in for a good amount last night. I am not a Black Friday shopper, my wife knows this. She went out with her brother at 11:30pm last night to Walmart. Well, he has been feeling a little under the weather, but was going to brave the cold and rain to get some good deals.

It was at about 1:15am I get a call waking me up. Her brother was leaving because he was feeling ill. She was waiting in line outside of Target, didn't want to be alone and asked me to come up there. Apparently Walmart was so packed they passed it up. Now I am in a drowsy state and when I am like that, I don't make the best decisions. So I agreed and got dressed. My clothing involved jeans, t-shirt, jacket and hat. That was it. I didn't check the weather, didn't check anything. I just left. Now it was 40* outside and windy. I got there and immediately began freezing my butt off, instantly regretting my decision to go out there.

The store didn't even open until 4am. So I'd have to wait and wait for the store to open, then carry my jacket and some blankets around with me. BLAH. It opens and I have never seen so many people try to push people into a two-door opening. I got shoved, immediately shoved back. Then I got elbowed, so I elbowed back even harder. All of a sudden, I am not being pushed anymore. I guess some of the people who were "in a rush to get a good deal" around me got the hint that you don't push people. I was not intending to hurt anyone, I just wanted to get through the doors safely and without incident. I don't appreciate people who "have to get in so badly that they try to push others to move faster". Forget that. If someone were to fall, I'm sure they would have been walked on because of others pushing people forward. I don't like "consumer whores", as I call them, that much. I was ticked about being woken up, I was ticked about being cold, and now I was ticked about being surrounded by a bunch of people who would try to hurt anyone standing in their way in getting a good deal.

I think this is officially the last Black Friday event I will be attending. Normally it is under control, normally there is a sheriff on site keeping people from cutting in line, normally there is more order, but this time there was none and I was about to get medieval on some people. I think I am better off not going next time.

Next year honey, you are on your own!

Sorry if I sound like I'm mean, I really am not. I just don't think any deal is good enough worth hurting others to get. I saw people being pushed down because they were "in a person's way". I'd rather just pay a bit more thankyouverymuch.
[/rant]



Anyone else partake in the annual adventure called Black Friday?

[almost40]

I weaved in and out of traffic on my way to the duck blind. Does that count?
Killed 2 mallards 1 diver and 2 geese. No better way to take out your frustration than to fire a 12 gauge at some waterfowl.

[Apex]

[want1sobad]

black friday and the consumer whores make me sick. never have participated, never will.

[Apex]

Well my wife gets an adrenaline rush from it all. Normally it is ok, this year it was crazy.

[austexjg]

I decided to go to CycleGear this morning - mainly 'cause it was finally cold and I didn't feel like walking the dog, so I took him along. There was little traffic at 8:45 a.m., the store only had a few customers, and I got everthing I wanted. I was back home and walking the dog by 9:40 a.m..

[Apex]

Nice! I think I may attack Mellow Johnny's website for some gear too...

[2WheelGuy]

Black Friday

[Sailariel]

As it is, I am not a shopper. I usually know what I want, proceed to where it is, pick it up and head for the checkout. Before I get in the car to go "shopping", I have checked prices on the web, then go to that store. (90% of our Christmas shopping is done before Labour Day) Am not into crowds at shopping malls or just walking all the aisles in the store aimlessly looking for some sort of impulsive buy. Walking bothers my hip--although I can do a Century on my bike without breathing hard. I leave the shopping to my wife--she has pink days where she gets together with her girlfriends, has lunch with them, and then the whole bunch shops. The most time I ever spend in a shop is in a motorcycle or bicycle shop.

[Apex]

Originally Posted by Sailariel

The most time I ever spend in a shop is in a motorcycle or bicycle shop.

Same here!

[8gauge]

Link to original page on YouTube.

[00NissanNinja]

Apex, it is for those reasons that I never go out on black friday. I don't like crowds and I definitely do not like being pushed by someone. I like your style sailariel, I am the same way.

[Apex]

I used to never go out on Black Friday other than maybe to get something to eat. My wife and her family have done it for years. To me, nothing is that great of a deal where I need to sit through cold and rain, then get shoved by several people.

I told her that if I don't see anything set out next year to keep things orderly, then I'm going home. I don't care what is on sale, I'm not dealing with it again next year. She agreed.

[Sailariel]

Mark, A friend of mine has a name for those "One day only" events, Black Friday, etc. It is called, COMBAT SHOPPING. I'll have no part of it.

[Apex]

Originally Posted by Sailariel

Mark, A friend of mine has a name for those "One day only" events, Black Friday, etc. It is called, COMBAT SHOPPING. I'll have no part of it.

Hahaha, I like that, I'll have to tell my wife about that.

[CThunder-blue]

I went to Best Buy this past Friday at 8am. Drove into the parking lot and got a spot pretty quickly. Walked in and found a couple of movies I wanted which were on sale. I looked up at the line which wrapped all the way around the store and dropped the movies and walked out. 2 hours of my life sitting in line isn't worth the $10 I might have saved. I can't imagine the insanity when the stores actually open.

[Blackwidow]

Mark- you are a brave brave man...and you're wife, she's a brave brave woman! I have never and will never participate in any of the black friday escapades, for merely the reasons you experianced in your original post. I have very short patience with people, if I anyone elbowed me or pushed me, my 4" heels would be flying straight to their head. I rather stay in bed at the wee hours of the night and save myself the headaches and frustration with all the idiots out there trying to save 100 bucks or so. My nerves are worth more.

[backinthesaddleagain]

Originally Posted by Blackwidow

I have very short patience with people, if I anyone elbowed me or pushed me, my 4" heels would be flying straight to their head.

Hmmm, would make a good youtube.

[GeneJunkie]

Black Friday shopping is fine as long as you don't go right at store opening time, or after 9:30-10am. Any of the "great" deals aren't worth it since it only applies to the sole 1 or 2 items that they have in stock. It's only a bunch of stuff and not worth getting hurt or sick over.

I usually go with my mom every year but this year I went with my MIL at 8:30am. We got a close parking space, had no crowds, and picked up some awesome deals on Christmas gifts.