People love savings, kill dude for them.

[Cure]

NEW YORK - A Wal-Mart worker died Friday after a throng of "out-of-control" shoppers broke down the doors at a suburban Long Island store in a scramble for post-Thanksgiving bargains, police said.

At least four other people, including a woman eight months pregnant, were taken to hospitals for observation or minor injuries.

The store in Valley Stream on Long Island closed for several hours before reopening.

Nassau police said about 2,000 people were gathered outside the store doors at the mall, about 30 kilometres east of Manhattan.

The impatient crowd knocked the man, identified by police as Jdimytai Damour of Queens, to the ground as he opened the doors, leaving a metal portion of the frame crumpled like an accordion.

"This crowd was out of control," said Nassau police spokesman Lt. Michael Fleming. He described the scene as "utter chaos."

Dozens of store employees trying to fight their way out to help Damour were also getting trampled by the crowd, Fleming said.

Items on sale at the store included a Samsung 50-inch Plasma HDTV for US$798, a Bissel Compact Upright Vacuum for $28, a Samsung 10.2 megapixel digital camera for $69 and DVDs such as "The Incredible Hulk" for $9.

Damour, 34, was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead about 6 a.m., police said. The exact cause of death has not been determined.

Witnesses said that even as the worker lay on the ground, shoppers streamed into the store, stepping over him.

Kimberly Cribbs, who witnessed the stampede, said shoppers were acting like "savages."

"When they (officials) were saying they had to leave, that an employee got killed, people were yelling 'I've been on line since yesterday morning,"' she said. "They kept shopping."

A 28-year-old pregnant woman was taken to a hospital, where she and the baby were reported to be OK, said police Sgt. Anthony Repalone. At least three other people were taken to hospitals with minor injuries.

Police said criminal charges were possible in the case, but Fleming said it would be difficult to identify individual shoppers. Authorities were reviewing surveillance video.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc., based in Bentonville, Ark., called the incident a "tragic situation" and said the employee came from a temporary agency and was doing maintenance work at the store.

"The safety and security of our customers and associates is our top priority," said Dan Fogleman, a company spokesman. "At this point, facts are still being assembled and we are working closely with the Nassau County Police as they investigate what occurred."

Shoppers across the United States lined up early outside stores on the day after U.S. Thanksgiving in the annual bargain-hunting ritual known as Black Friday.

It got that name because it has historically been the day when stores broke into profitability for the full year.

So...uh...I hope they can see their flat screens well since they're covered in the blood of that man and all.

[Mecha Cow]

You know, maybe this whole Black Friday thing isn't such a great idea.

[愛]

More like "Red Friday" amirite?

[Ninjinister]

I had heard about this a bit earlier today, before they had released the victim's name. The report I had heard, however, indicated that patrons had broken the door in prior to business' opening hours due to impatience.

Flippin' holidays and events... nearly all of them are based on the seven deadly sins... and then they wonder why the world is in such a sorry state of affairs.

[Machias Banshee]

I can just imagine those people having to go to their family and admitting, "I cared more about getting the latest iPod instead of someone's life."

These people are horrible. And what pisses me off is that Walmart will probably be the one that gets sued over the loss of life. They should have shut down the store for the rest of the day. F*ck em if they've been waiting in line for who knows how long. No amount of money is worth a life...

Damn selfish arrogant people. I hope they enjoy their blood gifts...

[KROW]

It's bad enough that this whole day has people frantic with its one-day-only sales, but to have them for only 5 or 6 hours starting as early as 5AM? Ridiculous. How many more people need to be injured/killed until this Black Friday bullsh*t gets abolished?

For f**k sake, people. Use layaway or get your sh*t early.

[CudleyCowlick]

Well I personally stabbed four people, strangled a grandmother, and kicked a pregnant woman in the belly yesterday but I DID get almost all of my Xmas shopping done for under $500.

I don't see what the big deal is, here.

[Jester]

Man...just man... I stay away from Black Friday for just this reason...people are crazy and don't care 1/2 a crap for the lives of people when they can get a Bissel Vac for $28...:roll:

[Brodie]

Anyone really excited the reporter made a point to mention what savings could be had?

I got my DVDs and didnt have to hit too many people...Let alone trample someone.

[Type 97 Chi-ha]

The term "Black Friday" comes from the fact that retail stores often end up in the black monetarily-wise as a result of this huge shopping day.

Of course I avoid department stores on this day. The sad truth is that this isn't the first time this sort of thing happened at a retail store. :(

[Hannah]

I killed a duded today and I didn't even go shopping, WAHAHA!

[BigApple3AM]

Absolutely ****ing ridiculous. I'd hope those people wouldn't be able to sleep tonight, but they'll probably sleep like babies, since they obviously didn't care enough to stop trampling him to death.

Poor guy...

[Kunoichi_Haruko]

I swear, the older I get, the more I dread the holiday season. Events like these really bring out the worst in people.

[Machias Banshee]

Well, the good news is the police are trying to track down all the people who trampled him. Problem being that with the CROWD that jumped him, I don't think they're gonna be able to really get anyone specifically. These dirtbag shoppers will probably get away with murder...

[Buslady]

it's a double murder now, the baby died...supposedly there's an update floating around somewhere. im trying to find it

and yeah they probably will get away with it.

[Machias Banshee]

My god... the more I see this stuff, the more I hate the commercial part of the holiday. I was NEAR a wal-mart last night and was damn near run off the road. The whole groupthink just changes people into maniacs...

[Sage Ninja]

I work at Wal-Mart. I worked Black Friday and I've seen some pretty effed up sh*t happen. This year was reletively quite since I didn't go to work till after the huge rush but there have been other times where I've been to work on black friday and seen some stuff. Last year two custmer got into a fight over an xbox and came to serious blows. We had to call the police and mop up the blood after wards that got splatted on the floor (yeah it was that brutal) and a cashier that worked in the electronics demartment broke his finger when he tried to break them up.

And the year before I started working at Wal-Mart my store had a death of it's own. One of the elderly workers had a heart attack just when they opened the doors and he died because the crowd outside the door wouldn't make room enough for the permedics to get inside and help him. :cry: Every year before opening the doors we have moment of silence for him.

Man I hate Black friday and the reason ever one is acting this way is because the econemy is in the crapper and people don't want to give up on the bounty of presents there used to every year so they want to take advantage of sales to get a wide screen tv or the newest Elmo at the lowest buck. **shakes head**

[Mr. Snackpants]

This is pretty pathetic and all but I love the extreme Black Friday hate going around here.

Oh those people are crazy. I never go shopping that day, I avoid it. they need to get a life.

How do you all know what it's like if you avoid it like a plague? The only thing you'll see about it will be on the news and if it's on the news it's going to be because of something bad, that's all local news is.

I've been Black Friday shopping four years. The last two years at Best Buy. There have been zero problems aside from a couple young kids trying to cut. Actually people are pretty friendly. Whether it be making conversation in line, sharing heat, picking up stuff for people on runs, the list goes on. And when it's go time there's always a single file line going into the store. No running, no craziness.

Everything is smooth. Mainly because Best Buy is smarter than the f*cktards at Wal-Mart. When the doors open at 5am all the big items are spoken for, tickets for them have been handed out. There is no reason to race into the store.

But yeah anyway, stay away. Hide in your basements after you finish your turkey diner. These people are crazy!!!!!

[Kunoichi_Haruko]

Everything is smooth. Mainly because Best Buy is smarter than the f*cktards at Wal-Mart. When the doors open at 5am all the big items are spoken for, tickets for them have been handed out. There is no reason to race into the store.

And there you have it- this ish happens every year, and yet it seems no one except Best Buy had the foresight to organize the event at their store. Why was Wal-mart not more prepared? It's just irresponsible to whip people into a frenzy and then step away from the madness.

[MrPliggins]

Holy s***...it's just STUFF! People need to get their priorities straight and stop being so damn selfish. I blame today's society and pop culture, telling us we need all this stuff. In the end, all it is is more stuff to clutter up your house.

That being said, I was at the local wal-mart opening yesterday, and I didn't think it was very crazy. The electronics section was really insane, but otherwise, it wasn't bad..and all the other stores I went to were really not very busy. I didn't see any fights, or name calling, or anything like that.

[Ryona]

Christmas has truly lost all meaning and value when insane stuff like that happens. It's such a joke holiday. It's all about obsessive material-grabbing, and shallow family get togethers with people who smile infront of you and gossip about you behind your back.

F*** Christmas.
If you truly care enough about someone to give them a gift, do it any time of the year instead of waiting for this one mad day.
Because really, people only give others gifts on Christmas because they're expecting to get something in return. They know they're going to get stuff back.
Try giving someone a gift spontaniously on some random day in the year. THAT, my friend, would be a gift with true value and meaning because you'd be giving without expecting something in return. The true meaning of giving.

ugh... Christmas brings out the worst in people.

[The Terror of Death]

F*** Christmas.
If you truly care enough about someone to give them a gift, do it any time of the year instead of waiting for this one mad day.
Because really, people only give others gifts on Christmas because they're expecting to get something in return. They know they're going to get stuff back.
Try giving someone a gift spontaniously on some random day in the year. THAT, my friend, would be a gift with true value and meaning because you'd be giving without expecting something in return. The true meaning of giving.


Truer words have never been spoken. I have to try to remember that little life lesson.

[Peanut]

Almost everyone in this thread needs to get the f*ck over themselves.

[Ninjinister]

I give gifts to family and close friends (and sometimes even co-workers, if I feel like) spontaneously throughout the year. It's just that I amp it up for occasions such as birthdays and holidays. And for those occasions, I always make sure I've got everything way ahead of schedule; I finished Christmas shopping at the back in October.

Christmas has truly lost all meaning and value when insane stuff like that happens. It's such a joke holiday. It's all about obsessive material-grabbing, and shallow family get togethers with people who smile infront of you and gossip about you behind your back.

Like I said, holidays around here are more about celebrating the seven deadly sins than anything else.

[That Matt Guy]

What I think:

Almost everyone in this thread needs to get the f*ck over themselves.

and

I can guaran-damn-tee you that Wal-Mart doesn't give a sh*t about it's employees. I'm surprised they didn't just kick the body under the shelf.

[VaughnMichael]

I worked at Wal-Mart this past Thursday up until 6:30am, I and a few other guys had been setting the store up all night from about 10:00pm for this stupid black Friday thing.
While we didn't have anyone killed at my store, allot of the customers where in a panic and lines formed for items, a few of my fellow employees got pushed around.
We tried our best to help everyone we could by telling them where items are located.
Oh and to those of you with the bla bla bla Wal-Marts douche bags and they're so unorganized, I can't speak for every Wal-Mart around but we really planed ours out very well and made maps.
You guys praising Best Buy also have to take into consideration that store is much smaller and doesn't sell as many different types of products.
It helps to have managers and employees who are relatively smart and know the store they work in, this may sound silly but I've been to plenty of places where people who worked there could give 2 sh1ts less if they help you.
While I did have a few b1tchy customers everyone was pretty nice for the most part and very happy that we knew exactly where everything was and informed them right away if things had been sold out already.
It was insane though I've never seen so many people in one large store setting in my life, maybe at large Night Club events I've been to in days past but never a store.
Our security was heightened as well and they checked every single person coming into and leaving the store and every person was checked on the way out. Sadly a black woman went all b1tch fest 2008 on one of our door greeters because she asked to see her receipt, I'm not sure if many more things like this went on but the woman was seriously out of hand and throwing a temper tantrum and claiming it was only being done because of the color of her skin.:roll:
Anyway this was insane and I hope I never have to work it again.
I can guaran-damn-tee you that Wal-Mart doesn't give a sh*t about it's employees. I'm surprised they didn't just kick the body under the shelf.
Do you work at or for a Wal-Mart?
While the higher up people more than likely don't give 2 flips about those of us at the bottom of the ladder, the employees at my store are like a family and we'd always protect the other and we did just that when things got out of hand a bit here on Thursday.
It was nothing as serious as this but when push came to shove we said hey back the f4ck off.

Oh and just so people know I wouldn't defend Wal-Mart they are douches for sure but many of us that work there bust our @sses to support ourselves and are really good caring people.

[Sage Ninja]

thankyou I feel the same way. I can't stand Wal-Mart or their policies at times and higher-ups don't give to sh*ts about the employees working their their floors. But the actual people who work in the store and the managers do care about each other well fare. And we really do bust our butts to get our meager checks and help the store and custmomers when we can.

Unfourtunalty some customers have the mentality that unless you're walking two steps behind them with bucket for them to piss in you aren't giveing them good customer service. I don't know where this over sence of entitlement came from in Walmart customers but I've never worked at another retail store where so many custmers through raving hissy fits or try to threaten employees when things aren't happening as quickly as they want or we ran out of Baby Alive their kid despretley wants.

And your right Vaughn it helps alot if there are assiocites on the floor that know where things are and are up to date with what in stock. The problem is with Wal-Mart at least in my area, I'm not sure if this an issue where you work, is that Wal-Mart is under staffed. They keep cutting back hours and schedualing to few people to work on the floor that the people who are working to get stretched to thin, and you can't give good customer service if you are doing several things at once and watching four departments while taking care of their custmers.

[Buslady]

my buddy quit wallyword cos they would not work with his schedule for school. they're lame. those higher ups were the store managers, they didnt care about him. he was a peon

[Drtooth]

Holy s***...it's just STUFF! People need to get their priorities straight and stop being so damn selfish. I blame today's society and pop culture, telling us we need all this stuff. In the end, all it is is more stuff to clutter up your house.

This has always been a factor. In fact, didn't this pretty much happen like several times before this? of COURSE the holidays are commercial and humans are greedy. All the stuff we're all buying is probably made with some sort of slave or child labor.

The thing that I'm most concerned about was that TRU shooting. It was clearly gang relates, or a premeditated dispute. Even then, Dammit... if you have to carry guns around in a KID'S store, then you're sick. And letting Gang crap or some sh** you hold against some one FIRE the things in a place crowded with kids.... I'm surprised that didn't get half the coverage on national news.

That said, I was out yesterday, and it didn't look all that different to me. Mall was a little crowded... but then again that was 2 o clock after all that stuff.

[The Stryker]

Almost everyone in this thread needs to get the f*ck over themselves.

Why more people don't listen to you I'll never know.

People are evil and terrible everywhere! Except me, I know better.

[That Matt Guy]

Do you work at or for a Wal-Mart?
While the higher up people more than likely don't give 2 flips about those of us at the bottom of the ladder, the employees at my store are like a family and we'd always protect the other and we did just that when things got out of hand a bit here on Thursday.
It was nothing as serious as this but when push came to shove we said hey back the f4ck off.

Oh and just so people know I wouldn't defend Wal-Mart they are douches for sure but many of us that work there bust our @sses to support ourselves and are really good caring people.

No, I work for your competition. And I did mean the big wigs not caring about the employees, I'm sure all of the grunts are good people.

[Spitfire]

The economy is in the can and people have money to waste on Christmas gifts. Mobs in general are stupid but it's rare someone gets killed in one.

I live in San Fransisco which sometimes feels the capital of mobs and protests. I watched Tibet protesters get run over by a bus. One of them got dragged along side of it while he tried to slash it's tires. I saw people protest the Olympics, I saw fights break out over Prop 8, and I've seen the ever so famous war protests. People throw stuff, get in fights, get threatened with nightsticks and guns. The ones in front of the Chinese embassy were heated.

This stuff happens but there's worse things. One person dieing in a store mob hardly stacks up to something like a bunch of children getting butchered with machetes in Darfur. I did a report on that for English class, some of that is hard to read even for me.

[Buslady]

so what did one of the protesters jump out in front of the bus? idiot. just give the driver nightmares...

didnt hear about that one

all this just goes to show how horrible people are. it's too bad that bad news is news, when good news they dont bother to report or RARELY even touch upon.

[Kunoichi_Haruko]

Unfourtunalty some customers have the mentality that unless you're walking two steps behind them with bucket for them to piss in you aren't giveing them good customer service. I don't know where this over sence of entitlement came from in Walmart customers but I've never worked at another retail store where so many custmers through raving hissy fits or try to threaten employees when things aren't happening as quickly as they want or we ran out of Baby Alive their kid despretley wants.

I'll tell you where that mindset comes from- it's a well-known fact that Wal-Mart CEOs and other higher-ups couldn't give two poos about their overworked, underpaid employees. Their lack of respect is a green light for some moronic shoppers to give you hell. To them, you are nothing but a wage slave, and they see themselves as doing you a favor by shopping at your Wal-Mart. That's where that sense of entitlement comes from.

[Jester]

Being a retail wage slave myself, I try to be extra nice to the people at Walmart...because I know what it's like to have customers from hell scream at you for little reason.

[Jelly Bean]

God, next year my family is making me a get job. I guess I'll stay the heck away from Wal-Mart as a part time job.

[Ninjinister]

The way the economy is, you might have no other choice.

[Evenstar227]

Being a retail wage slave myself, I try to be extra nice to the people at Walmart...because I know what it's like to have customers from hell scream at you for little reason.

Only at Wal-Mart? ;) I try to be polite to all the cashiers, stockers, etc when I go shopping. As long as they're pleasant to me. Ever get rung up by a surly adolescent? A thrill a minute. :lol:

Shopping pet peeve: People who walk in front of you when you're CLEARLY looking at the items on a shelf, without saying a darn thing, let alone saying "excuse me". How rude!

[Ninjinister]

Only at Wal-Mart? ;) I try to be polite to all the cashiers, stockers, etc when I go shopping. As long as they're pleasant to me. Ever get rung up by a surly adolescent? A thrill a minute. :lol:

Shopping pet peeve: People who walk in front of you when you're CLEARLY looking at the items on a shelf, without saying a darn thing, let alone saying "excuse me". How rude!

I always excuse myself when I do that, but then again, the only reason I do, is because the person's got their cart behind them, and there's about eight feet of space between them and the shelf they're looking at.

[Cure]

The whole "Wal-Mart" employees getting paid low wages is retarded. The whole point of retail is that anyone can do it and no special education is required, hence why they get paid low at Wal-Mart and any other similar place. Retail is supposed to be like a starter job for high school and college kids. The only reason Wal-Mart gets so much crap is cuz old people work there, too. If anyone is expecting $50,000 a year from Wal-Mart, then they're pretty dumb.

[Ninjinister]

The whole "Wal-Mart" employees getting paid low wages is retarded. The whole point of retail is that anyone can do it and no special education is required, hence why they get paid low at Wal-Mart and any other similar place. Retail is supposed to be like a starter job for high school and college kids. The only reason Wal-Mart gets so much crap is cuz old people work there, too. If anyone is expecting $50,000 a year from Wal-Mart, then they're pretty dumb.

Yeah... I never got the whole Wal-Mart hate. I have friends that work there that have had jobs at other retail stores and they say it's not much different. One actually said he prefers them to working at K-Mart.

[That Matt Guy]

The whole "Wal-Mart" employees getting paid low wages is retarded. The whole point of retail is that anyone can do it and no special education is required, hence why they get paid low at Wal-Mart and any other similar place. Retail is supposed to be like a starter job for high school and college kids. The only reason Wal-Mart gets so much crap is cuz old people work there, too. If anyone is expecting $50,000 a year from Wal-Mart, then they're pretty dumb.

Maybe that's why you are supposed to stay with the company and get promoted and such? It's only dumb if you sit at the same position for 20 years.

[Spitfire]

so what did one of the protesters jump out in front of the bus? idiot. just give the driver nightmares...

Actually no someone was trying to plow through the crowd using the bus.

[Cure]

Maybe that's why you are supposed to stay with the company and get promoted and such? It's only dumb if you sit at the same position for 20 years.

Then even less of a reason for people to be complaining.

[Jester]

Only at Wal-Mart? ;) I try to be polite to all the cashiers, stockers, etc when I go shopping. As long as they're pleasant to me. Ever get rung up by a surly adolescent? A thrill a minute. :lol:

Shopping pet peeve: People who walk in front of you when you're CLEARLY looking at the items on a shelf, without saying a darn thing, let alone saying "excuse me". How rude!
Yes, only at Walmart. K-mart and Target be damned, and don't get me started with Best Buy.
/sarcasm :P