Black Friday..

[Mytical]

There is the good, the bad, and the ugly. I actually managed to keep my cool, but don't ask me how. Sort of a self sighting also..

The Good
The person I was going to help shop actually listened to me, so we were prepared for the insanity that is Black Friday.

Also Wally World actually did something SMART by having their doors open all day and not starting the sale until 5am. So there was no stampede (but of course that only helped..a little).

For the most part everybody was well behaved, including kids. However, if it ended there, I wouldn't be posting this.

Even actually saw some decent parenting, now if only the SC's would have stayed home.

The Bad
Part 1 - It's only 15 minutes...
We had arrived about an hour before the sale, and of course the place was packed. We had some groceries to get while we waited, so we were in no hurry. The items we were after were not electronics, so we knew that the big crowd wouldn't be so bad. Besides which, here, the BIG electronics sale wasn't until noon and we were not going to be here that long.

After we have done our grocery shopping, we passed by electronics. Poor cashiers were surrounded by people. All with the items that were on sale then (while the main electronic sale was at noon, they had a few 'door busters' on sale early). All we could hear is "Why do we have to wait?! It's only 15 minutes! Just sale it to us now for the sale price!!" Of course the cashier couldn't but why let such a thing like logic matter?

Part 2 - No Rain checks!Says right in the flyer "no rain checks". Of course we all know SC's can't read..lots of "Your out of x, can we get a rain check?" though.

Part 3 - Unmonitored children Riding on the end of carts (their siblings pushing them as fast as they can), running around the store, knocking things over. As I said for the most part MOST were ok, but there have to be exceptions.

Part 4 - The Lines On noes more then 2 people in all the lines, whatever will society do? It's the end I tell you, the end!! Even with most lanes open, and the SCO's going at full tilt there were lines. I swear if I hear "Why is it taking so long." one more time...people will be convinced the Incredible Hulk came to my town.

The Ugly - Or wherein Mytical almost gets arrested, but keeps his cool...barely.

Ok, sometimes I am not the fondest of my father. However, he is a 77 year old man, and he IS family. Don't mess with Mytical's family. We had just managed to get the last item on our list, and even though it wasn't a 'big ticket' item, it was the last. Score. We start to head out, and find that we are packed in like tuna. We can barely move, it is so crowded. Some yahoo pushes my dad down, trying to get through the crowd.

My father is on the floor, and people are starting to crowd in on him. I do the only thing I can think of, I go pick my dad up, and put myself between him and the crowd. The one who pushed him is pushed back into me, as the crowd passes, I am shielding my dad..who is a bit hurt. I turn, pick the guy up, and move him PAST us, so that he doesn't knock into my father again. People keep bumping into me, it's starting to look as if even I am not going to stay on my feet.

I'm starting to lose my cool..because 1) Me and tight spaces + crowds do not mix. 2) My dad was knocked down and almost trampled..and 3) Guy who pushed him down is still really close...looking like he is wanting to fight. Just as I am about to lose it, the crowd thins out, having gotten past the area. No clue what caused such a large crowd at that time.

Guy comes up. Following conversation happens.

G - Person who pushed my father down.
M - Me
F - My Dad
LP - Loss Prevention (comes in later)

G - "What is your name! I am going to sue you for assault."
M - I don't even look at him, checking to see if my father is alright. "I'd advise you to leave."
G - "Now you are threatening me?! We will see what the police have to say about that."
M - "Go ahead, get the police. Then you can explain how you pushed a seventy - seven year old man to the ground, and was about to run over him again."
G - "That was an accident, what you did was on purpose!"
M - "If I had wanted to hurt you, you'd know it. I am trying not to get angry, you are NOT making it easy." *my voice is getting deeper, cause it does that when I get angry. Almost gets to a growl.
LP Finally shows up.
LP - "Is there a problem here."
G - "This guy put his hands on me, I want you to call the police and have him arrested!"
M - "If you don't get this person out of my face now, the police will be a very good idea."
F - "My son was just protecting me, this guy pushed me to the ground."
G - "Like I said, that was an accident, what he did was on purpose."
M - "I told you, if I did something on purpose you'd have known it."

LP steps between us. Looks at my father. "Sir are you ok?" my father nods.
LP looks at the other guy. "You can press charges if you want, but then this guy (points to father)..can press charges. Your call."

G looks at my dad. "Fine. I'll drop it." he doesn't look happy.

LP looks at me. "I think it is time for you to pay for your stuff and leave."

I nod. "I agree." Finally starting to calm down. We pay for our things and leave. Dad got a couple of bruises out of the ordeal, but was otherwise ok.

Now for a bonus fun part, that actually made me laugh and cheered me up. As we were headed to the parking lot, somebody was running full tilt toward the entrance. Didn't have time to slow down, and slammed right into me..and bounced. They didn't go down, but they were moved backwards quite a bit. It was a female..I'd say about 5'7" maybe 125lbs..maybe.

She looked up at me, kinda stunned. "Oh my god I am so sorry, wasn't looking where I was going!" then out of nowhere. "Wow, you are big." then blushed.."I didn't mean it that way!"

I just laughed. "It's ok, are you hurt?"

She looked herself over. "No..you didn't even budge did you?"

Shaking my head. "Sorry, you have to be a bit bigger then what you are to knock me down."

"I bet." then she blushed again, and apologized again. She looked back over her shoulder with an odd look on her face.

My dad looked at me. "Should have gotten her number, she seemed interested."

I nodded. "I actually noticed that this time, but not a good time of the year for me."

My dad sighed. "Are you sure you are my son?" (My father fancies himself a ladies man).

[Wenchie]

*hugs*

I actually agree with your dad on this... should have gotten her number.

And for this time of the year... *hugs*

And I'm glad you didn't get arrested, but I think you did the right thing with the person who pushed your dad down. You moved him out of the way without injuring him, you protected your dad from further injury, and that guy was just a douche.

[Anakah]

Why did the LP tell YOU it was time to leave? Shouldn't he have been saying that to the jerk who pushed your dad??? I'm glad he's okay. I can't believe people!

[Mytical]

I think because he could see the anger in my eyes. He was probably afraid I would hurt the other guy. I don't blame LP, they are just doing their job (I worked for a bit as Wally World LP). One problem is, every time I lose my cool I get upset at myself. I am a major pacifist for the most part, and takes a lot (normally) to get me mad. Endangering my family, children, or seeing a guy hit a female will bypass my normal zen self instantly. I'm working on it.

[ApolloSZ]

Mytical - I love that approach - Pick up, move them out of the way. And he was an ass.

I still can't get my head around this stampede approach people seem to have. The mind, it is boggled. I've never experienced it,. but don't think I'd stay in a store like that long, I'm stubborn and don't like being shoved around against my will.

[Sapphire Silk]

I think because he could see the anger in my eyes. He was probably afraid I would hurt the other guy. I don't blame LP, they are just doing their job (I worked for a bit as Wally World LP). One problem is, every time I lose my cool I get upset at myself. I am a major pacifist for the most part, and takes a lot (normally) to get me mad. Endangering my family, children, or seeing a guy hit a female will bypass my normal zen self instantly. I'm working on it.

People get this idea sometimes that anger is a "bad emotion." It's not. Everyone has a right to be angry. It's how we express the anger that is important. Don't get upset with yourself. You handled a dangerous situation well, and protected your dad.

I hope your dad is feeling better.

[Amethyst Hunter]

I love that approach - Pick up, move them out of the way.

Preferably right into a pit of snapping turtles.

[Mytical]

Preferably right into a pit of snapping turtles.

Rule #1 Violation.

[Amethyst Hunter]

Rule #1 Violation.

Thank you, I do try.

[Seshat]

I still can't get my head around this stampede approach people seem to have. The mind, it is boggled. I've never experienced it,. but don't think I'd stay in a store like that long, I'm stubborn and don't like being shoved around against my will.

After a plane crash where people stampeded (to get out of toxic smoke), psychologists and plane-interior designers did an experiment. They wanted to replicate the stampede, but without hurting people (ie, they couldn't exactly pump toxic smoke into the cabin!).

So what did they do?

They offered money to the first however-many people to get out of the plane.

They got their stampede.


(edit to add: source of the info is Air Crash Investigation, the TV edutainment show.)

[ApolloSZ]

"I take my seat. Then, I plan my route. <snippped some out> Lets see, I'll go around the fat f*ck, step on the widows head, push those children out of the way, knock down the paralyzed midget, and get out of the plane where I can HELP OTHERS" - George Carlin.

Seshat - I can understand in a flight or fight mode, looking out for themselves. But at a fricken sale? Thats the bit I don't get.

[Eisa]

^ I LOVE that George Carlin quote. It's hilarious.

Yeah, that would be why I don't go shopping on Black Friday. I have no wish to be trampled.

[chainedbarista]

1) Me and tight spaces + crowds do not mix.

me too; if it was an accident, why was there no apology? seems like he's trying to cover his ass and as for knocking down an elderly person without bothering to see if they're ok? no...just no.

for you, buddy, it's the wading pool, full of rubbing alcohol and razorblades.

[ThirdGenRetail]

I think I may be able to guess why the LP guy said it was best you pay and go. It was likely for your sake, because you looked less-than-thrilled about what had just happened, not so much the anger, to prevent you, regardless of intent, from ending up in a bad situation, and to get your dad out of there for his safety as well. It would reflect very badly on the store if an elderly customer were to get trampled to death in their store, or for some jerkwad to start a fight with a guy in the store that's protecting his dad. He saw that you needed to be someplace much calmer, likely.

[MoonCat]

Mytical, I think you were entirely justified! You were protecting your dad. He was hurt, in a vulnerable position, and the guy who knocked him down was a poor excuse for a human being.

And yeah--shoulda got that lady's number. But, well, who knows...might meet her again at that store. I bet she remembers you!