Black Friday! It is usually a holiday I love to participate in and get crazy spending my money on people I love for the holidays. Together with my husband and brother-in-law I've camped out overnight, gone out early- but never sacraficed a family Thanksgiving dinner. We've never headed out before 10pm Thanksgiving night and usually not until 3-4am on Black Friday. We've gone out with nothing in mind- just the experience and fun together.
Last year I had the two guys with me and it made me feel safe from the shoving and crowding. I still got a little jostled when doors first opened, but nothing much more serious than a nudge you may get at a grocery store on accident.
This year we all stayed home for various reasons. You could tell from news reports ahead of time that things were getting bad for Black Friday. Deals were available earlier and earlier- it became black friday week, not black friday day. People camped out earlier, stores went from early AM openings to just staying open. Looses some of the fun. On facebook I posted we werent going out and many people were dissapointed that they wouldnt see the photo "play-by-play" of the morning we are famous amongst our friends for posting online. I was angry that companys were forcing employees to miss Thanksgiving with their families for black friday set up and working on thanksgiving (when many "doorbuster" deals began). It became to much ugliness.
And lets go into the "doorbuster deals" term. It isnt just cute words. In 2004 my husband and I were at a mall and due to lack of good planning the enterance we were at didn't have a staff member to open the door. It was supposed to be opened at mall open and when people saw customers inside while we were still locked out things got ugly. The double doors to the mall were being banged on and pushed in. The look of terror on the poor salesgirl's face when she had to unlock them was so sad. She got security to help her just in case (smart girl). I was afriad we were going to see her trampled, but she got out of the way quick. It easily could have been a newsreport scene!
I did go out in the afternoon/early evening when deals were gone but the crazy was still there. I just came home, hopped on my computer, and did my shopping online. Easy, quick, and nooone to judge my lack of fashion and makeup for the day.
is black friday dead? It is for me, and I have a feeling it soon will be for many. What do you readers think? Did you go out?
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