LOS ANGELES (AP) — A woman trying to improve her chance to buy cheap electronics at a Walmart in a wealthy suburb spewed pepper spray on a crowd of shoppers and 20 people suffered minor injuries, police said Friday.
The attack took place about 10:20 p.m. Thursday shortly after doors opened for the sale at the Walmart in Porter Ranch in the San Fernando Valley.
The store had brought out a crate of discounted Xbox video game players, and a crowd had formed to wait for the unwrapping, when the woman began spraying people "in order to get an advantage," police Sgt. Jose Valle said.
I understand that as of this morning the woman, who got away in the confusion, had surrendered to authorities. I hope they throw the book at her.
But as I said, there is nothing that is so vitally important to me to give to someone else that I would subject myself to the need to stand in line waiting for a store to open or a pallet to be unwrapped.
falstaff From United States of America, joined Jun 2006, 5670 posts, RR: 29 Reply 1, posted (1 year 5 months 3 weeks 3 days 8 hours ago) and read 1833 times:
Quoting dxing (Thread starter): This is one of the reasons you will never ever catch me indulging in any "Black Friday" shopping.
I went to Walmart on Friday afternoon around 3pm and it wasn't anymore crowded than Walmart on a regular Friday. I went with my dad who needed a new GPS, because his old one crapped out and he needed it this week. We found there were still plenty of good deals and plenty of merchandise.
Quoting dxing (Thread starter): But as I said, there is nothing that is so vitally important to me to give to someone else that I would subject myself to the need to stand in line waiting for a store to open or a pallet to be unwrapped
srbmod From United States of America, joined Mar 2001, 16888 posts, RR: 51 Reply 2, posted (1 year 5 months 3 weeks 3 days 8 hours ago) and read 1830 times:
Quoting falstaff (Reply 1):
I went to Walmart on Friday afternoon around 3pm and it wasn't anymore crowded than Walmart on a regular Friday. I went with my dad who needed a new GPS, because his old one crapped out and he needed it this week. We found there were still plenty of good deals and plenty of merchandise.
My route on Fridays takes me by several Walmart locations as well as a mall, and none of the Walmarts looked any busier than normal and the mall was not as packed as I had seen it in previous years.
I'm thinking due to all of the hype and sale items, most folks were there when the doors opened. I know one of the local news channels here had crews at some Best Buy locations and folks had literally set up camp on the sidewalks (Occupy Best Buy?).
The way it seems to be going, the unruly behavior gets worse every year. You've had people get crushed by folks bum rushing the doors at stores, now folks pepper spraying the crowd. What's next, folks tasering people?
varigb707 From United States of America, joined May 2006, 1217 posts, RR: 1 Reply 3, posted (1 year 5 months 3 weeks 3 days 8 hours ago) and read 1811 times:
falstaff From United States of America, joined Jun 2006, 5670 posts, RR: 29 Reply 4, posted (1 year 5 months 3 weeks 3 days 8 hours ago) and read 1783 times:
Quoting srbmod (Reply 2): I know one of the local news channels here had crews at some Best Buy locations and folks had literally set up camp on the sidewalks (Occupy Best Buy?).
I know there were people camping at some Best Buys around metro Detroit. I saw them on the news. What a bunch of losers. I don't like the Occupy crowd, but at least they are trying to stand for something. Who are these people who camp out in front of Best Buy for three days? You would have to have no job or family to go to.
As far as I am concerned the stores want this kind of nonsense because any other time of year the stores would be calling the cops to get rid of people loitering on the sidewalks infront of the store.
Silver1SWA From United States of America, joined Mar 2004, 4536 posts, RR: 26 Reply 5, posted (1 year 5 months 3 weeks 3 days 7 hours ago) and read 1760 times:
Quoting dxing (Thread starter): But as I said, there is nothing that is so vitally important to me to give to someone else that I would subject myself to the need to stand in line waiting for a store to open or a pallet to be unwrapped.
I seriously doubt most people going crazy over these deals are getting gifts for someone else. They want that $200 TV for themselves.
Quoting srbmod (Reply 2): I'm thinking due to all of the hype and sale items, most folks were there when the doors opened. I know one of the local news channels here had crews at some Best Buy locations and folks had literally set up camp on the sidewalks (Occupy Best Buy?).
At one of the largest Best Buys here in San Diego, people were camped out since Monday. It was very awkward walking by all the tents when I went into the store on Wednesday evening.
Quoting falstaff (Reply 4): As far as I am concerned the stores want this kind of nonsense because any other time of year the stores would be calling the cops to get rid of people loitering on the sidewalks infront of the store.
Select Best Buy locations set up projectors and played movies for the campers out front. Yeah, I'd say they like the nonsense.
ALL views, opinions expressed are mine ONLY and are NOT representative of those shared by Southwest Airlines Co.
seb146 From United States of America, joined Nov 1999, 9800 posts, RR: 17 Reply 6, posted (1 year 5 months 3 weeks 3 days 6 hours ago) and read 1726 times:
Yes. This is the exact behavior Jesus would want to celebrate His birth! I am so glad we live in a moral and Christian nation....
Phatfarmlines From United States of America, joined Sep 2001, 1322 posts, RR: 1 Reply 7, posted (1 year 5 months 3 weeks 3 days 6 hours ago) and read 1723 times:
Quoting dxing (Thread starter): But as I said, there is nothing that is so vitally important to me to give to someone else that I would subject myself to the need to stand in line waiting for a store to open or a pallet to be unwrapped.
Quoting Silver1SWA (Reply 5): I seriously doubt most people going crazy over these deals are getting gifts for someone else. They want that $200 TV for themselves.
Have to agree with Silver1SWA. Even this article confirms it:
Instead, a whopping 90 percent will be hunting for deeply discounted merchandise for themselves or their families, according to a survey by the International Council of Shopping Centers and Goldman Sachs.
ltbewr From United States of America, joined Jan 2004, 12329 posts, RR: 12 Reply 8, posted (1 year 5 months 3 weeks 3 days 5 hours ago) and read 1688 times:
Many stores opened early, had suitable security, used tickets to manage the demand for the cheapest, most wanted and most limited quantity 'doorbusters'. Later on Friday morning and into the afternoon, there were plenty of deals, got decent service, found what wanted for a great price, tried to time the checkouts so only had short waits. There were plenty of good deals on Saturday, when shopping with my 82 year old mom, no problems with crowds, register lines short, got good service, got a lot of shopping done.
I think one of the issues with "Black Friday" is that it has become a competition to see who can get the cheapest 'doorbusters', looking like starving people going for food in impoverished areas. Add in the far less civility among people out there due to bad upbringing and peers along with declining incomes for many yet still wanting 'things', it creates a bad mix that causes these violent frenzy events. As I have stated before, stores should rethink their part in these 'doorbusters' and hyper-early openings and social pressures need to be applied to each other to town down the stupidity. The incident were the woman used pepper spary will lead to charges of battary, a felony level charge, with possible jail time although I suspect she will get the charges reduced in a plea deal and not go to jail. Hopefully the hassles will teach her and others not to get so stupid in your behavior.
Mir From United States of America, joined Jan 2004, 19687 posts, RR: 56 Reply 10, posted (1 year 5 months 3 weeks 2 days 10 hours ago) and read 1413 times:
Quoting ltbewr (Reply 8): although I suspect she will get the charges reduced in a plea deal and not go to jail.
That would be a shame. She needs to spend some time in prison for that sort of idiocy.
-Mir
7 billion, one nation, imagination...it's a beautiful day
ER757 From Cayman Islands, joined May 2005, 2218 posts, RR: 8 Reply 11, posted (1 year 5 months 3 weeks 2 days 6 hours ago) and read 1353 times:
Quoting dxing (Thread starter): This is one of the reasons you will never ever catch me indulging in any "Black Friday" shopping.
Gotta agree with you there. I can't imagine any scenario in which I'd be camped out in front of store with hundreds of people to save a couple bucks.
Quoting seb146 (Reply 6): Yes. This is the exact behavior Jesus would want to celebrate His birth! I am so glad we live in a moral and Christian nation....
Priceless!!
Quoting ltbewr (Reply 8): There were plenty of good deals on Saturday, when shopping with my 82 year old mom, no problems with crowds, register lines short, got good service, got a lot of shopping done.
True - had to stop at the local mega-mall on Saturday and it wasn't crowded at all.
type-rated From United States of America, joined Sep 1999, 4343 posts, RR: 21 Reply 12, posted (1 year 5 months 2 weeks 3 days 15 hours ago) and read 1071 times:
And an additional news story about her pointed out that she had her two little kids with her while she was pepper spraying her competitors.
Fly North Central Airlines..The route of the Northliners!
dxing From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 13, posted (1 year 5 months 2 weeks 3 days 10 hours ago) and read 1039 times:
Quoting type-rated (Reply 12): And an additional news story about her pointed out that she had her two little kids with her while she was pepper spraying her competitors.
Sorta like mama bear teaching her cubs how to hunt?
ZKSUJ From New Zealand, joined May 2004, 6933 posts, RR: 10 Reply 14, posted (1 year 5 months 2 weeks 1 day 23 hours ago) and read 966 times:
Christmas really does bring out the worst in some. Been around the retail industry before at a part time job for a couple of christmas' and the amount of rude and impatient people around skyrockets. Good will to man and a time for caring/sharing has gone out the window for many.
gocaps16 From Japan, joined Jan 2000, 4298 posts, RR: 23 Reply 15, posted (1 year 5 months 1 week 6 days 13 hours ago) and read 880 times:
My wife and I recently checked out a crib for our baby last week that we like for $240 on a U.S. military base here in Japan a week after Thanksgiving. The customer service staff told us to wait and come back at 7pm because all items were 30% off. So, my wife and I agreed that we'll come back an hour before they closed to get the crib, not knowing it will be crowded. Usually the military exchanges usually have good deals all the time. We arrived at 8pm and it surprised us how crowded this place was. People were scrambling to buy those princess skirts for their daughters and rushing in line. once we saw the long the line was, we left. Screw the 30% off. My wife is 32 weeks pregnant and there is no way she'll be able to wait over an hour in line. We decided to buy it anyway all full price. I was happy to pay for it.
type-rated From United States of America, joined Sep 1999, 4343 posts, RR: 21 Reply 16, posted (1 year 5 months 1 week 4 days 20 hours ago) and read 796 times:
Quoting ltbewr (Reply 8): Add in the far less civility among people out there due to bad upbringing
I think a lot of this behavior has to do with what you pointed out. My sister has a daughter that was not taught any manners. The only two words she knows is "gimme, gimme". You would think that by going to college (and doing great at it too) she'd learn some manners, nope. My sister & husband pride themselves on the fact that they have never had to say no to their kid. She's currently living in London and draining my sister & husbands 401K's while doing so.
BTW, today on the news they said that the woman from the pepper spray incident did not break any felony laws. The case has been turned over to the local DA's office to see if it broke any misdemeanor laws. There is a good chance she'll walk away from this with only a small fine.
Fly North Central Airlines..The route of the Northliners!
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Priceless!!
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