PlazaJen: Passion Knit

I'm watching footage of yesterday's shopping debacles, people getting trampled, maced & taken down over laptop computers on sale.

I understand having loss leaders to bring people in, and "Black Friday" is a huge day in the retail world. But surely there is a better solution than turning it into a melee-free-for-all that makes people RUN at 5 in the morning to push through the doors & race for the deal. I think they went through this a long time ago in ye olde Rock N Roll community, hm? I've heard that Best Buy gives people waiting in line coupons, to be redeemed for the product. That would be helpful, takes the panic Am-I-Going-To-Get-One out of the mix.

We are a consumptive society ..... I am not immune, and I do love to shop - but even I am exhausted by the behavior, the bad attitudes, the absolute disregard for other people that this Black Friday machine has created. Is that acceptable? Is it truly the cost of doing business?

Harrumph. I'm slowly turning into one of the grouchy old Muppet men in the balcony....