You 'Black Friday' Zealots Are Nuts
So, I'm driving back from the USC football game in Phoenix late Thursday night, early Friday morning ... just blowing along I-10 at a high rate of speed, and I'm still alert and awake when I get close to the casino at Morongo ... when I see hundreds of red tail lights ahead of me, up the hill and curving to the right.
And none are moving.
Oh, no, I think. Something awful has happened on the freeway, some huge wreck or massive construction, and it's going to be some long, drawn-out affair. Maybe the whole freeway is closed. And I was making such good time ...
But as I got closer I realized all the traffic was over in the right lane. At a dead stop. And there's about a half-mile of it.
And then it struck me: At 1:15 Friday MORNING, shoppers were lined up just to exit the freeway at the outlet mall at Cabazon.
At 1:15 a.m.! And the stores don't even open till, what, 4?
And just as I was digesting how preposterous that looked, I glanced over to the east-bound side of the freeway, and there were even MORE cars in line to exit the freeway. At least a half-mile of them ... and maybe more like a mile. Sitting in the (ultra) slow lane, trying to exit.
This is just to get off the freeway. No telling what sort of hell/hassle all these shoppers were going to go through before they parked, walked, got to the store they're interested in ... and sat around for hours before the place opened.
This is nuts. I mean, you wouldn't catch me throwing myself into that if they were GIVING AWAY electronics. Or whatever it is all these people had to get up at midnight to go get in line for.
I've never understood this Black Friday thing. I refuse to believe bargains exist in any sort of degree equal to the effort that people make to get to the stores. I think X percent of the population is just nuts about shopping, and Black Friday and its alleged bargains gives them an excuse to indulge in their passion/vice. Sort of like Harry Potter fans lining up for days to get the newest book, or Rose Parade geeks camping out for two days to get a prime viewing spot.
It would make far more sense, I'm sure, to wait a day or three and THEN do your hoiday shopping. You wouldn't even have to get up before 7 a.m.
This Black Friday stuff ... It's nuts. You all should be in bed at 1:15 a.m. ... not inching along, desperate to get to the OakleyLevis/Gap outlet store (or whatever) before it opens at 4.
Did I mention this was A.M.?!?
Comments
Paul I read an interesting story in of all places, a Philippine web site but never saw it in any american newspaper. Did I miss it? it was reported by the Philippine Inquirer.net Posted November 19, 2007 and titled "US upset defending champions Cuba in baseball World Cup.
I can fax you a copy if intersted, tell me the fax number.
Posted by: Paul Neifert | November 23, 2007 1:34 PM
Totally agree with you. Some people have too much time on their hans so it seems.
Posted by: Jaime | November 23, 2007 5:31 PM
I agree. It's sad when our society decides being with family & friends during a holiday weekend has LESS priority than shopping. A barometer of our crumbling society.
Posted by: Char Ham | November 29, 2007 8:31 PM