Wal-Mart Worker Dies in Mad Shopping Rush

Black Friday became black indeed in Long Island today at a local Wal-Mart where a 34-year old man was killed due to an out of control crowd that swarmed the store upon opening at 5am.

My wife and I went shopping today with a very reluctant attitude since we have seen the results of overzealous shoppers eager to save a penny or two. A friend of hers kept calling her today and telling her about all the great deals and bargains, but one of those phone calls became tragic very quickly. My father-in-law kept calling as well about this great deal on a 50 inch HDTV that was going for only $798. But is it worth getting so worked up about the great deals that a man should lose his life? Apparently there were some who were so focused on getting a bargain that the life of one man did not matter in the least.

Apparently the doors of the Wal-Mart were knocked off as a crowd of hundreds rushed into the store to take advantage of some of the deals. One news story even said that the frame of this door was crumpled upon surveying the scene afterwards. Even sadder is the fact that when some people were asked to stear clear, complaints rang in the air in place of silver bells about their long waits in the lines since the wee hours of the morning. My wife's friend said that the crowd was horrendous. There were many that just kept on shopping and running to and fro without even caring about coworkers of the man as well as security guards and police who were trying to bring some sense of control to the situation.

She told her that the attitudes of some were really bad until they saw the man lying there. But even then there were some who did not seem to care. She said they took him to the hospital later that morning, but he looked like a limp rag doll. She didn't think there was any life in him at all. Apparently the news stories have confirmed just that. See some pictures here.

Being involved heavily in the investing world, and having lived in Philadelphia where the term Black Friday originated, I know that many think that Black Friday originally got its name from the fact that many stores did not see true profitability until after Thanksgiving when shoppers would storm the stores for bargains. But the true origins go back to the Philadelphia Police Department, where the term was used due to the heavy traffic of shoppers as well as an increase of crime and muggings on that day. It has been in recent years that stores have taken advantage of such situations to rally the consumer by providing great bargains and deals to attract more people to their store, even if it means opening up early and having many shoppers waiting outside. When my wife and I lived in Philadelphia, the King of Prussia mall was amazing at this time of year but it was extremely organized and devoid of such vagrant clients. Black Friday seems to be an appropriate name now since tragedies such as this only lead to well attended funerals by loved ones wearing black and suffering the loss of another.

So as you go out this holiday season for those bargains, let's not make any shopping day a black day, but rather one of ringing bells, singing and merriment. While police are going to try and bring justice by looking at security video to see who may be at fault, I think everyone there could very well have been at fault who did not take the time to realize there were those there trying to help them by providing a service of opening the doors. One man in particular today in Long Island, NY who gave his life so that others could get a great deal.

Tragic indeed.