The Dark Side of the Christmas Season

This is sad....just sad. And it isn't the first time it's happened, either. The last time was at Wal Mart too, I recall.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081128/ap_on_re_us/wal_mart_death

Wal-Mart worker dies after shoppers knock him down

NEW YORK – A Wal-Mart worker was killed Friday after an "out of control" throng of shoppers eager for post-Thanksgiving bargains broke down the doors at a suburban store and knocked him to the ground, police said.

At least four other people, including a woman eight months pregnant, were taken to hospitals for observation or minor injuries, and the store in Valley Stream on Long Island closed for several hours before reopening.

Nassau police said about 2,000 people were gathered outside the store doors at the mall about 20 miles east of Manhattan. The impatient crowd knocked the man to the ground as he opened the doors, leaving a metal portion of the frame crumpled like an accordion.

"This crowd was out of control," said Nassau police spokesman Lt. Michael Fleming. He described the scene as "utter chaos."

Dozens of store employees trying to fight their way out to help the man were also getting trampled by the crowd, Fleming said. Witnesses said that even as the worker lay on the ground, shoppers streamed into the store, stepping over him.

Kimberly Cribbs, who witnessed the stampede, said shoppers were acting like "savages."

"When they were saying they had to leave, that an employee got killed, people were yelling 'I've been on line since yesterday morning,'" she said. "They kept shopping."

The 34-year-old man was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead at about 6 a.m., police said. The exact cause of death has not been determined, and the man's name was not released.

A 28-year-old pregnant woman was taken to a hospital, where she and the baby were reported to be OK, said police Sgt. Anthony Repalone. At least three other people were taken to hospitals with minor injuries.

Police said criminal charges were possible in the case, but Fleming said it would be difficult to identify individual shoppers. Authorities were reviewing surveillance video.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc., based in Bentonville, Ark., called the incident a "tragic situation" and said the employee came from a temporary agency and was doing maintenance work at the store.

"The safety and security of our customers and associates is our top priority," said Dan Fogleman, a company spokesman. "At this point, facts are still being assembled and we are working closely with the Nassau County Police as they investigate what occurred."

Shoppers around the country line up early outside stores on the day after Thanksgiving in the annual bargain-hunting ritual known as Black Friday. It got that name because it has historically been the day when stores broke into profitability for the full year.

I hate to say this, but around here, you stay away from Walmart on Black Friday. People just literally run over each other when those doors open. I think something like that almost happened to my own mother, and we've never gone there on Black Friday.

I don't understand why this happens mainly at Walmart, though.

No offense to anyone that shops at Wal Mart (I go there myself when I HAVE to), but I believe it's a different breed of people that seem to frequent there. I went to Wal Mart a few years ago on Black Friday with my brother and sister in law...NEVER AGAIN. This woman almost got herself arrested (yes, they had armed police officers there) because she didn't want to go to the end of the line behind the people that were waiting before the store opened. She was actually arguing with the police officer and going off on him. Then there was another person who was literally trying to shove her cart in front of people. And it's not like we had been waiting all night. We got there about 1/2 hour before the doors opened, and to be honest I didn't see anything in that store worthy of the trouble. You can find a lot of good buys on-line, and you don't even have to leave your house.

I didn't even do the shopping thing today. I've been sitting here, relaxing and enjoying myself all day long. And I aim to keep it that way, at least for the day. Nothing planned for me but laziness...I deserve it too, after the hecticness of the past week.

yeah, I think you are right.

I've done some personal studies about going into walmart, and many times, people will bump into you without even acknowledging they did or apologizing.

There is a different breed, and lately, I've had to find myself shopping at walmart more than I ever did. Sadly.

I've heard about what happened at Walmart, and it just breaks my heart. And it's not just there. I heard in the news that there was gun fire at a Toy's R Us. Are you kidding me???

This is one reason why I don't like shopping. Especially this time of year. People go completely crazy and are so freakin' rude. That's why I make sure that my shopping is done before November is over.

I think I just heard about one at Kmart too, but I think it was nothing to do with shoppers.

On the lighter side of this issue: Try taking a mother who just had a knee replacement and is using a walker. We went to Walmart today and on top of it all she is higher than a kite on Valium and Vicodin. I just about peed my pants with laughter at her attempts of walking very fast (snails pace). And there weren't any handicapped parking spots because everyone was parked illegaly.
Dallas can't you do something about that for me.

Wouldn't it be interesting going somewhere like Walmart and have everyone in the store on valium and vicodin? What a happy place that would be. Just goes to show that the true spirit of Christmas needs drugs and alcohol.

I have had enough of a druggy for one year. This morning I told her I was going back to bed after I got Bennett off for school and she looked at me and said, "You can't miss any school." I looked at her and said mom it's me not Bennett and she told me that we looked just alike. LOL - Vicodin and Valium are not a good mix together.
LOL.