Tired of expensive flat screen TV’s that cost a fortune? Tired of the partially functioning appliances in the home? If so, Black Friday shopping might just be the event!
But, before crashing through store doors, there’s some life-saving facts one should know.
Black Friday is the busiest day of the year for shopping as a whole–with hundreds upon hundreds of people lining sidewalks, waiting for store doors to open. Mr, Jesse Olson, an English teacher, states, “I don’t understand the thrill and adrenaline of Black Friday shopping.”
In fact, the shopping frenzy can “kill” rather than “thrill” if one isn’t careful. Such an instance happened back in 2008, where over 2,000 shoppers eagerly waited the scheduled 5 a.m. store opening, at which point they rushed in, breaking the doors down, worrying about only themselves and the important deals they were targeting. Unfortunately, 34-year-old Jdimytai Damour was trampled to death by the stampede of shoppers.
Another incident occurred in 2011. Back in Porter Ranch, California, a woman used pepper spray on 20 fellow shoppers! This occurred during a wait in line for a discounted Xbox 360 after the store brought them out by the crate load. The woman reportedly started spraying people to “get the advantage” and snag a console for herself.
Mr. Jonathan Kirkton, an Algebra and Pre-Calc teacher, doesn’t believe this behavior adds up. “I don’t think the deals are worth the time of me waiting!” He would prefer to simply hold off for Cyber Monday and sit on the comfort of his couch to find a deal.
Cyber Monday serves as an extension to Black Friday, as it is known. Instead of a one-day shopping frenzy of discounted sales, Cyber Monday extends the shopping period as a whole, increasing sales and marking it as one of the most profitable days for the holiday shopping season. Originally coined by Ellen Davis and used in the 2005 holiday shopping season, Cyber Monday advertised itself as “One of the biggest shopping days of the year”–and the self-fulfilling prophecy took over from there.
Thanksgiving may kick off the holiday shopping season; however, it can be fraught with danger. So, be wary of what might be “in store” when going through those doors.
