Am I the only one disgusted by "Black Friday"?

[TinyChickenLady]

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday!
However, I went Black Friday shopping for the first time ever this year and actually had fun.
Here in Maine, it is illegal to open up the stores for Black Friday sales before midnight so we didn't disgrace the holiday, thank goodness!
I also, didn't wait in line to get in. I didn't even go to the stores until after 9 am

There were no lines, no yelling, no violence. I did see a couple of cops patrolling for crowd control but it turned out to be a very pleasant experience and I got about half of my shopping done.
So, sorry to those of you who had bad experiences but I'll have to disagree with you this year. I had fun and I think half of it was due to the fact that I didn't rush. I went out with the intent to take my time and enjoy my first Black Friday shopping experience and that's exactly what I did

 

[nop169]

We also stay home! First we are not your typical consumer... we try to live frugally and spend thoughtfully. Yes it is a good time to get deals for many - but it is not worth the mayhem! I think it is sad that people act worse than animals at some of these sales.... just proves my point to my wife... that if something disrupted shipping & grocery stores got bare.... think of how bad it would be if people act this badly for just stuff! Makes us glad to work harder at being self suffiecient!
To those of you who enjoy the excitement of the sales, I pray that you are kept safe... as for me & mine... we will continue to stay away! We do not need all of that stuff anyway.

 

[Desirai]

I'm disgusted by Black Friday also.

I work at Walmart and had to work Thanksgiving night so I got to babysit people who were starting lines for the big items like 40 inch TVs and Xboxes and stuff like that.

We had people fighting over merchandise that wasn't even for sale yet. We were putting up displays on the floor and the signs said NOT FOR SALE DO NOT TOUCH and managers still had to pry items of peoples' hands.

It was so disgusting the way people were acting. Arguing and yelling and fighting over cheap plastic crap.

We had a few people get into fights. And some people were extremely rude to employees. If item A wasn't available, they wanted to know WHY WHEN HOW AND WHAT. I had a few snobby people yell at me and by the end of the night I was so aggravated. It's like these people think that they are the only person I am going to see the entire night. The only person that is going to yell at me or shove me or get mad at me.

My voice was hoarse and my throat was sore the next day from having to repeat myself dozens of times, each time having to get louder and louder because of the hoards of people that were flooding in.

I've never been shopping on a black Friday and I don't intend to.

 

[anderson8505]

Nope. It's stupid to "hype up" shopping like this for any reason, and more stupid for people to be so rude to each other this time of year! All for the love of MONEY. I can't even stand grocery shopping during this time of year!!!

 

[Linn Bee]

Quote:
I went to a pancake breakfast like that once. Guess who took home all the floor-cakes for her girls?

Love, Linn B (aka Smart Red) Gardening zone 5a - 4b in south-est, central-est Wisconsin

 

[JD4570]

I refer to it as "black and blue Friday". When I worked at Wal-Mart I was assigned to crowd control and ended up with bruised ribs when a shopper elbowed me. Managers wouldn't let me file charges either. I feel sorry for anyone that has to work in that kind of crap.

 

[Matthew3590]

I like black friday. Good deals on the stuff I want, makes shopping for others easier as well. I don't think it "disgraces" thanksgiving.

 

[punk-a-doodle]

I always figured I'd get a diamond wedding ring, one diamond in life, even though diamonds in general and the awful diamond commercials disgusted me. The symbolism of something that endures and lasts appealed to me. Then...I found out that was not actually a traditional symbol and had been promoted by diamond companies to sell their wares. Good bye any desire of ever owning a diamond anything. Guess how much Black Friday appeals to me?

Arguments such as those found in "The High Cost of Discount Culture" have made me question what I truly see as 'a good deal'.

 

[Judy]

I stay out of all stores as much as possible this time of year. I did go to a few on Black Friday, simply because I was out of a few things -- local stores in my small town, which was unusually quiet. The older I get, the more the commercialization of these holidays disgusts me. See my siggy.

 

[Animalian]

To an australian the "black day" sounds horrible, I don't understand how black = sales...

Here we have Black Saturday, named because a few hundred people died in a massive bush fire that spread through victoria....

I think there are a few other 'black days' named for the same reason, theres also Ash wednesday... A different name for the same circumstance.