Another Sign of the Apocalypse

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Czar of Cheese
Member Since: Jun 09, 2004

Humanity has reached a new low:

www.usatoday.com/news/nat...art-death_N.htm

I was at Wal-Mart this morning at 5:00 AM. Lucky to be alive, I'd say.

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Administrator
Since: Apr 03, 2002


Nov 28, 2008 05:14 pm

holy &*@^#$&*%^(&*@#$ ****

My wife, the queen of understatement said "that's lame" when I relayed this post to her...

well, I'd say something a bit stronger, but yeah, that sums it up.

I just talked to Noize2u and he was in Walmart, perhaps I should check in...

www.TheLondonProject.ca
Member
Since: Feb 07, 2005


Nov 28, 2008 05:37 pm

...add another two to the count

www.kesq.com/global/story.asp?s=9427148

Czar of Cheese
Member
Since: Jun 09, 2004


Nov 28, 2008 05:41 pm

Yeah, BH, I read about that one too. At least that was two guys shooting at each other and they both ended up killing each other. (And I don't think anyone else was hurt.) That's pretty much win-win.

Ne'er ate 'er
Member
Since: Apr 05, 2006


Nov 28, 2008 05:42 pm

A lot of these people line up the night before and sleep in front of the doors just to be the first to get a few bucks off the latest gadget or whatever. I don't get it. That stuff will still be there in a few days. My in-laws were out there at 4 AM this morning.

I wouldn't be caught dead shopping the day after Thanksgiving. Er.

Administrator
Since: Apr 03, 2002


Nov 28, 2008 06:20 pm

Noize and I and Tuna (woulda been Ray this year) are typically out there early, this year we skipped it, cuz, well, we didn't want anything...

Damn, glad we didn't...Noize and I mighta killed each other...

Member
Since: Jan 18, 2003


Nov 29, 2008 01:36 am

i would like to advance a theory about the wal-mart thing. not to get anyone off the hook or anything--the people wanting to keep shopping actually really does seem evil--but as far as the trampling, a few feet back from the doors no one can see what's happening, and all those people are pushing, cuz that's how it works. so it's like there's this pressure that forces you to move forward and there's nothing you can do about it.

i'm not sure how it works but it seems to me that it could even be that the pressure originates from no one in particular but is rather just a physical property of crowds trying to squeeze through a small doorway. maybe all you need is smallest incentive to pack together and it gets amplified up toward the front

Member
Since: Jul 02, 2003


Nov 29, 2008 04:25 am

Geez that's sick, what a waste, just shows at the root people are animals.

Dan

Administrator
Since: Apr 03, 2002


Nov 29, 2008 09:19 am

forty, in my days working security, there were many times we'd pull people out that were passed out from heat and pressure, the people around them paid little mind (they were watching the show) it's incredibly loud so noone could hear even if you did scream, and there was no room to even collapse, so you just stood there swaying with the crowd until an opening to collapse came, then you'd disappear...at that point somebody noticed...

In the situation like Walmart, it's very possible people did notice, but, due to the pressure of the crowd they were hustled past and were left to be unable to do anything other than report it once they were a few yard away and they saw an employee.

People are animals...people are inherently born self serving, apathetic and bad, and are raised from there to be be good decent beings...this is easily evidenced by the kids that grow up with little or no parental influence...what happens to them? They end up where society takes them...bad, those that have role models, positive or negative usually end up following, though not always.

So, that leads one to ask, what category do most Walmart shoppers fall in to?

I am not a crook's head
Member
Since: Mar 14, 2003


Nov 29, 2008 01:12 pm

Gotta wonder if Wal-Mart will get sued over that. They probably could have provided better crowd control, provided a more organized and controllable way to form the line. Even though it does boil down to people being idiots at their core.

Eat Spam before it eats YOU!!!
Member
Since: May 11, 2002


Nov 29, 2008 05:00 pm

yeah... and they'll probably settle... and then the liability insurance company is probably AIG...

Prince CZAR-ming
Member
Since: Apr 08, 2004


Nov 30, 2008 11:06 am

eh, walmart won't spend money on control until they need to (or have to). This will spur them to say 'we care, and will never let this happen again'.

But, could they have seen this coming? I don't go to BF because of the chaos and competition. I did a long time ago, but haven't in many years.

If WM was really paying attention, I think they could (and probably did) see the the need coming for better control of crowds.

Anywhere you have over 100 people, you have potential for un-intentional violence / mayhem. Add to that, the tight economy, and you get some real greedy people (more greedy than normal, i guess).



Ne'er ate 'er
Member
Since: Apr 05, 2006


Nov 30, 2008 11:33 am

Well, and it doesn't help that a lot of stores are running promotions like five dollar Playstations from 5 AM to noon only on BF. Gasoline on the fire, anyone?

Czar of Midi
Administrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002


Dec 01, 2008 10:29 pm

Well, I didn't croak at Wally Mart. But I did get to see some hideous Walmart shoppers and I stayed a a Holiday Inn Express. :-)

But ya, that is kinda sad really. They could have had better control at the door.

All the years dB, Tuna and myself have been doing the Black Friday thing we haven't really encountered maybe but one or two rude or out of control type people. Last year I even wandered against the grain of the crowd to get back to some hard drives that were price well. All the folks I had to squeeze by were more then happy to let me get through.

But yes, sad indeed that someone had to die like that.

And Herb, that $5 play station was a 1st gen PS2 refurb.

Administrator
Since: Apr 03, 2002


Dec 01, 2008 10:36 pm

Actually, the three of us generally encountered pretty cool folks simply shopping for good deal like all of us...sad it gets to this level, but, well, on the whole, people suck.

Member
Since: Jan 18, 2003


Dec 01, 2008 11:10 pm

i think the structure of these sales is retarded. it's like setting up hundreds of people in front of a narrow funnel, announcing there's a few precious items in there, and firing a starter's pistol. stampedes are bound to happen. they've happened before. it's a failure to take crowd psychology into account. no on in that throng expected someone to die that die. people aren't thinking like that--the possibility seems remote.

Brother Number One
Member
Since: Jan 22, 2008


Dec 02, 2008 04:03 am

Beer Hunter, if thats not a reason for tighter gun control I dont know what is

Member
Since: Sep 19, 2008


Dec 03, 2008 11:54 pm

I know what I did on "Black Friday". I worked, and made money.

It bothers me that people can behave so animalistic as to effectively participate in a "stampede".

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