*I* agree that there's little religion left in Christmas, but you just know that some of these asshats fighting for stuff are religious people who like to use their religion as a bludgeon when it comes to other people's rights, so I find it hypocritical.

Members of the CROWD were carrying tasers and pepperspray?

No wonder black Friday is such a mess. Jesus.

Went to JC Penny to snag 6 free Mickey snow globes.

Waitied in the target parking lot till about 4:50 and then waitied in line. It stretched around the store and onto the street. They also had 3 rows of shopping carts to prevent line jumpers. Once i left the electronics dept, i was pushed to the other side of the store. My fiance's brother went with me and he was pushed in another direction. When it was time to check out, customers started making their own main checkout lines which then resulted in 4 different lines merging into 1. It took about 30 minutes to check out.

Went to best buy and walked in and out.

Went back to the mall to meet up with my sister and aunt. Walked around Carsons for an hour.

Had Breakfast at Cracker Barrel

Home By 10:30 for a nap.

Overall it was a pretty good morning. People in line were chatty and friendly. It seems like 1 bad story ruins 5 good ones, but that's the way of the world.

We went to the midnight opening of Toys R' Us for Black Friday. I saw a crowd of people forming a second "line" right outside the door 20 minutes before it opened, but I don't think they got in. The worst part was that everyone was trying to make a second checkout line, going right through the middle of the store. Nobody could get to anything because people were just standing there in the big middle aisles, and when we found the "real" line, it took almost a half hour before it started moving at all, until employees broke up the other line.

Apparently a fight broke out on the other side of the store, and police were called in too. This was in Col. Heights, Virginia.

Here in Florida, people started lining up at about 7:00PM on the night before Black Friday to get into the store. At midnight, the line was around the block, but when the doors opened, people were just walking up to the line and walking right into the store.

When people tried to see WTF was going on, and why all of these people were just walking right in front of the line, the manager who was letting people in said, "We can't control who walks into the store" Basically, just because people formed a nice, orderly line about 1/4 of a mile long didn't mean that the store had to honor the fact that most people are civil. Sure they gave out tickets for doorbusters about 30 minutes before the doors opened, but once they did that, all bets were off.

I'm surprised that there weren't more incidents or even riots. I will say that Toys R Us took a big hit in my book as well as many others who were standing in line.

Another cop had passed the queue playing music on his loudspeakers and making smartass jokes about it being nice and warm in the police car.

He or she is my new favorite cop.

Basically, you were in line for one big-ticket item. We were there for a $98 Nintendo DS, and we were in a line that snaked through the sporting goods department and ended at the gun desk in that counter, where we just had to tell them what color, and then they sent us on our way to pay in the front of the store. There were lots and lots of smaller deals throughout the store, and I could have picked something else up if I felt like dealing with the crowds.

But if you just wanted your one big item, it was easy. Nobody was going on a mad dash to get to the cheapo $4 mixer, but I think a lot of people planned to grab a few things after they got the big thing. We were mainly concerned with paying and getting in line at Kmart once we got out.

Gah.

Seriously, how many of these freaks are the same people who stand in the way of gay marriage and adoption rights, stem cell research, teaching actual science in schools, etc? Because if you punch another person to buy a Christmas gift, you should be banned from using religion as a debate point from then on. Having seen two mothers fighting over Veggie Tales DVDs in Costco once, I am at my wits' end with this crap.

And really glad we stayed home.

For future reference, there is no excuse for every store that has people line up outside not to do what the Target in Dickson City, Pa. did:

http://scrantontimes.com/news/battered_consumers_look_for_deals_on_black_friday

Check the picture. They built a barrier out of shopping carts to prevent people from cutting into the line. Brilliant and probably effective.

Also, cops help.

Nah, I'm not that guy. Toy speculation is a dangerous game anyway.

If you show up at 3 in the afternoon, after failing to read the parts about "limited quantities" in the circulars, then yeah, they'll try to sell you something more expensive, because that's what's left. There's nothing dishonest about it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZJVZ2p223

This is exactly what I saw happen at Old Navy and Kmart.

I saw it TWICE this year on Black Friday. First time was at Old Navy, where they had the free Lego Rock Band game with a $20 purchase. Several people, maybe 15 or so, started showing up in the lot, right across from the entrance about five minutes before the doors opened. They all rushed in when they did. One of them squeezed in, but the employee handing out the wrist bands for the game didn't give her one. After we checked out (we were second in line to check out, and there really was no line yet since we were in and out so quick), I was waiting for my wife to use the restroom, and I saw one of the other women finally get in, near the very end of the line, which was nice to see her sent to the back.

I saw it again at Kmart. Kmart seemed like a rougher crowd in general, and a couple of the line-rushers looked like they were pretty tweaked out on something. We got our buy two-get one Legos and got out.

I parked in an empty lot across the street from a CVS once to run in for cold medicine, and less than 5 minutes later my car had been towed because the driver had been hiding around the corner. (The CVS only had about 10 parking spots, and the business across the street, which was closed on weekends, had contracted with a towing company.) After he told me it would be $150 just to get my car back, I made some threatening remarks. He responded by lifting up his vest and showing me his piece. Clearly I wasn't the first fake tough guy to get angry with him. I paid the $150.

That said, there are some tow companies that really come in handy when you need them - dead batteries, busted tires, etc. And more often than not, the guys that drive those trucks are pretty cool. It's the scum bags whose only source of income is stealing people's cars from empty lots that you need to look out for.

Meanwhile Liberal NYC and LA were caring enough to be with their families

I for one am shocked.

And since we're talking about Americans here, it's also the Running of the Bulls.

http://www.newsday.com/long-island/nassau/fire-strikes-westbury-walmart-but-no-injuries-reported-1.1626696

Was that a BS story, or is the information above incomplete?

To paraphrase a great philosopher: This country needs an enema.

And the fact is, if you're not one of the first 20 people in line, you're not getting that GPS, TV, netbook, or anything in high demand. Same with the stupid Zhu Zhu hamsters. If it seems like you won't get what you want (or get out alive), just walk away. Getting a $150 netbook is not worth the risk of your life. You can tell when people are starting to get upset and unruly, and you can tell when people are at an emotional and mental state in which they may incite dangerous behavior.

When did people stop thinking with their instincts?