My first black Friday

So I have always avoided the black Friday chaos each year.
This year a friend asked if I would accompany them so as not to go alone, and I said sure why not?

Well I just want to say that was an experience for sure, nothing crazy but so crowded. It was definetly a new experience but I don't believe I'll be doing all that again. More power to any of you that get out there and brave the chaos.

My conclusion?
Black Friday shopping is like an over crowded theme park, except there are no rides, only registers.

a reply to: TheSilverGate

Lol.. nice to hear you survived.
I did it once.... Once!
Never again, as I order online with a prepaid debit card( to avoid getting my bank card from being hacked ).

Your lucky to survive .

You'll soon find out "why not" - if you're smart, this will also be your last black friday.

I've not left the house on that dreadful day since I had to work retail many years back. Every year it gets worse- and more people die from what can only be described as rabid consumerism.

I'll be dealing with leaves, if the weather holds.

It's been so long since I've had any disposable income, the last time I went "Christmas shopping" the day after Thanksgiving, Black Friday hadn't been christened yet. Much less Cyber Monday!

But I will say for those necessities I require (like replacing my 12 year old laptop), online shopping this time of year is the only way to go.

ganjoa

"Once you go black you never go back" definitely doesn't apply to Black Friday.

a reply to: ganjoa

I'm with you. With all the online deals, the corporate machine that is Black Friday is obsolete. You couldn't pay me to go out in that mess even if it were my only option for a deal. Thankfully, it's not.

well I pulled into Wal-Mart exactly at six pm. Did one lap around the parking lot perimeter, and found a spot at the right moment right in the center lane closest to the front next to a handicap spot. Talk about luck. This only took five minutes. I walked inside, went straight to the opposite corner of store to get my items, some portable memory. Grabbed some bananas and tomatoes, stopped to chat with a few people, waited literally only like 20 seconds to check out at the self checkout.

It was a very painless affair, and I ran into an old buddy who recently came back from out of state. I miss the human Tsunami's that used to be old black Fridays. Pure chaos is fun. Then I went to dinner.

doulbes??

Glad you survived the chaos.

A few years ago i was up early and got the train to Edinburgh, thought it'll be fine it's 10am, but no, thousands of people and shops crowded outside the door, took about 3-4 hours to get a few Xbox games and presents for my family..Never again lol.

I don't know if she still does, but my cousin's wife used to love Black Friday. She would actually get all the circulars and plan out her attack (not literal) and strategize where she was going to be and when and what she was after where. Then she'd start bright and early, pre-dawn, hit it and have all the Christmas shopping done by 5pm.

It was like a thing of pride for her or something.

a reply to: TheSilverGate

Im a pleasant dude typically. But i have visceral reaction to things that are stupid. If you get me in a large crowd, the amount of stupid things Ill be subjected to makes me unpleasant. Especially at places like Wal Mart (where its al at in small town Texas).

The wife and I don't leave the house on Turkey Day. Ill work today for 5 hours, then home until Monday. I've bought enough stuff to make it through.

Just the traffic can send me over the edge. We aren't talking thick congestions. We are talking a steady trickle of drivers driving 10 mph below the speed limit in both lanes, unsignaled turns, etc.

Its like a zombie invasion of illogical and inconsiderate behavior. The worst are the old ladies I think they troll me just for chuckles.

a reply to: bigfatfurrytexan

When it comes to any WalMart, I think there is a rule that you must turn in your human decency card the minute you turn in to their parking lot.

Every reply just about sums up my experience.
Wal-Mart was the first stop, and there had to be a couple thousand people in there. Way too many people for comfort.
Next year I think I will just eat some good food, and relax.