Faith in humanity: ZERO

[gridlore]

Wal-Mart worker dies after shoppers knock him down

A worker died after being trampled by a throng of unruly shoppers when a suburban Wal-Mart opened for the holiday sales rush Friday, authorities said.

At least three other people were injured.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc., in Bentonville, Ark., would not confirm the reports of a stampede but said a "medical emergency" had caused the company to close the store, which is in Valley Stream on Long Island.

Nassau County police said the 34-year-old worker was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead at about 6 a.m., an hour after the store opened. The cause of death was not immediately known.

A police statement said shortly after 5 a.m., a throng of shoppers "physically broke down the doors, knocking (the worker) to the ground." Police also said a 28-year-old pregnant woman was taken to a hospital for observation and three other shoppers suffered minor injuries and were also taken to hospitals.

OK, time to end this Black Friday farce. No more doorbuster sales, no more limited time specials. And anyone who lines up hours before opening should be ticketed for loitering.

Comments

[netquiddler.livejournal.com]

Agreed fully, and I'm thankful I don't work in a job that really does much business on Black Friday.

[glinda-w.livejournal.com]

Aieee.

Not entirely surprised.

(Having overdone both Wednesday and yesterday, I knew today would be a fibroflare/barely-get-out-of-bed day, but I resolved years ago not to shop on the day after Thanksgiving. I wish I could do no shopping at all until January, but there are necessities like cat food & litter, and some food for me, to be bought between now and then.)

[capplor.livejournal.com]

http://www.adbusters.org/campaigns/bnd

[notthebuddha.livejournal.com]

So you don't line up for giants or music tix before they go on sale, ever?

[caraig.livejournal.com]

Having worked retail in a mall on Black Friday... I really can't disagree with you on this.

I don't really think that there should be legislation about this, but I do think that the stores should reign themselves in. Unfortunately, for as long as some stores stay afloat because of Black Friday (one of the reasons it's called that, since it keeps them 'in the black,' at least as my old retail manager told me*) and others rake in massive profits, they'll keep doing this.

My big complaint in this situation is the [thrice-redacted expletives] so-called human beings who trampled this guy and didn't care. Not 'didn't notice'; oh, they noticed. You don't step on someone like a prone or supine adult human being and 'not notice.' They just didn't give a crap that they were stepping on someone. I could go into a rant about what should happen to them, and I hope some of them are lying awake tonight, wondering if -- no, knowing that they contributed to someone's death... possibly caused some kid to not have a daddy for Christmas. But the cynic in me doubts it.

Frankly, I would be perfectly fine if Black Friday ceased... somehow. This really has crossed the line from 'gross consumerism' into 'manslaughter.' Thing is, how do you get inherently amoral forces to obey intrinsically moral directives... except from consumer pressure? :(

[jarlsberg71.livejournal.com]

As a black friday shopper for several years, (along with my partner in crime Soo) I've never seen anything so bad as what happened downstate.

I believe that A) the store should have done more for security/crowd control. I've also been in a Circuit City who just had poor organization that really made soo and I leave because if there was a fire we all would have died. the exits were clogged...

B) I believe they should have cameras at the front of the store, and they need to press charges on those people who broke the glass AND stampeded that guy to death.

Soo and I were at JCPennies' at 3:55AM, and at Best Buy at 4:30, waiting for it to open. All was in control, and we got our stuff, I snagged 3 of the door busters, and were out of there in 20 minutes. It was good.

I don't think they should modify black friday activities or sales gimmicks especially in this economy. That said, stores need to be responsible for the safety of their employees, and their shoppers.

Soo and I don't do Wal*Mart on Black Friday because it's always TOO crowded... I don't think they should ban it, just enforce applied un-common sense to stores and patrons and employees.