| Author | Message | ||
     Paint_shaker |
Wal-Mart Worker Trampled to Death NEW YORK (Nov. 28) - A Wal-Mart worker was killed Friday after an “out of control” throng of shoppers eager for post-Thanksgiving bargains broke down the doors at a suburban store and knocked him to the ground, police said. At least four other people, including a woman eight months pregnant, were taken to hospitals for observation or minor injuries, and the store in Valley Stream on Long Island was closed for several hours. It reopened shortly after 1 p.m. Wal-Mart Stores Inc. 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. More Black Friday Coverage from WalletPop’s Black Friday Liveblog “The safety and security of our customers and associates is our top priority,” said Wal-Mart representative Dan Fogleman. “Our thoughts and prayers are with them and their families at this difficult time. At this point, facts are still being assembled and we are working closely with the Nassau County Police as they investigate what occurred.” Nassau police said about 2,000 people were gathered outside the Wal-Mart doors at the mall about 20 miles east of Manhattan. The impatient crowd knocked the man to the ground as he opened the doors, leaving a metal portion of the frame crumpled like an accordion. Nassau police spokesman Lt. Michael Fleming, who described the scene as “utter chaos,” said, “This crowd was out of control.” Dozens of store employees trying to fight their way out to help the man were also getting trampled by the crowd, Fleming said. 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 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.” The 34-year-old man was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead at about 6 a.m., police said. The exact cause of death has not been determined, and the man’s name was not released pending notification of family. 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. The industry’s largest retail group said the incident was rare. “We are not aware of any other circumstances where a retail employee has died working on the day after Thanksgiving,” said Ellen Davis, a spokeswoman at National Retail Federation. Shoppers around the country line up early outside stores on the day after Thanksgiving in the annual bargainhunting 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. Many stores open early and stay open late. The Valley Stream Wal-Mart usually opens at 9 a.m. Items on sale at the Wal-Mart store included a $798 Samsung 50-inch Plasma HDTV, 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. The store was crowded Friday afternoon | ||
| Buellatp |
Don't freak out, CHANGE is on the way!!!! | ||
| Buellfighter |
$798 for a 50" Samsung, I'm outa here..... | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
I HOPE that CHANGE is on the way.  I hope the families sue Wal-Mart for several million dollars. Maybe a little litigation will convince these bastards that opening at 4:00 and putting three items on sale isn't worth the effort. | ||
| Zac4mac |
hummmmph Just heard this on TV. I'd walk over you to see The Who... | ||
| Vortec57 |
Yeah, they're nuts. Today the dealership opened to 85 people at 6am. When I got here at 5am there were 5 of them standing at the door. | ||
| Paint_shaker |
I can see getting there early, but a person lost their life because he was stampeded by IDIOTs looking to save a few bucks.... | ||
| Cityxslicker |
You are just beginning to realize that a herd has no brain? | ||
| Ferris_von_bueller |
People do all kinds of crazy s***. Some camp out on the parking lot of Chick-fil-A stores just to get a free year's worth of chicken sandwiches. | ||
| Just_ziptab |
What a bunch of greedy idiots. There is nothing of extraordinary value(to me anyways)to stand in line and shop shoulder to shoulder. I don't get, I just don't get it. Lead time for Christmas shopping for me is ten days..........more than enuf. | ||
| Eboos |
I love America, but I am really starting to hate Americans. There is no decency, civility, or courtesy among many Americans anymore. This is just another example of how low we can go. | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
We're about to start a new tradition. Once the mystery of Santa is dead, we are going to enjoy Christmas as a time for family and give the kids money to spend AFTER Christmas. I want no part of Black Friday. I worked enough years in retail to see the absolute worst in people. Is that gift you bought so an so three years ago and forgot about worth the life of someone? | ||
| Eboos |
"I hope the families sue Wal-Mart for several million dollars. Maybe a little litigation will convince these bastards that opening at 4:00 and putting three items on sale isn't worth the effort." Sueing Walmart isn't going to solve anything. That will be just another way to pass the buck. Wal-Mart did not cause this unrulely mob to trample several of it's employees down. It is the greedy mothereffers that killed this person and injured the others. I take great offence to this act especially due to the fact that these people were not expecting to face any danger in their job which doesn't pay much more then minimum wage. Walmart will without a doubt be sued, but I want the crowd to also face their fare share of justice. | ||
| B00stzx3 |
Online shopping+coupon codes= much better than dealing with the herd bs | ||
| Cityxslicker |
Get everybody that rang through the register in the first hours in a class action suit. Sue them all. Welcome to the United States of Litigation. | ||
| Eboos |
No let's not hold anyone personally accountible for their actions and only sue the retailer. Sue where the money is. Welcome to the United States of Scapegoating. | ||
| Just_ziptab |
There is a reason they call it"Black Friday", People are so self centered anymore........me first,me this , me everything...........and when you are babbling, drooling on your bib in a nursing home......,the whole "me first" will be meaningless and it will all come to you that it's to late to share your love, your life in a more sensible manner. | ||
| Froggy |
Perhaps they should replace those people that run from the bulls in Spain with Walmart shoppers  | ||
| Eboos |
The term "Black Friday" comes from accounting when you no longer are "in the red" for you annual profit and loss statement. | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
Sueing Walmart isn't going to solve anything. That will be just another way to pass the buck. Wal-Mart did not cause this unrulely mob to trample several of it's employees down. It is the greedy mothereffers that killed this person and injured the others. I take great offence to this act especially due to the fact that these people were not expecting to face any danger in their job which doesn't pay much more then minimum wage. Walmart will without a doubt be sued, but I want the crowd to also face their fare share of justice. No one in the crowd will be held accountable just like no one in a concert trampling is held accountable. How do you charge a crowd? I don't like to sue corporations for the sake of making money, but in this circumstance the retailers are the enablers. If you knew Wal-Mart wasn't going to be open until the regular time, you wouldn't feel the pressure to show up first and run for it. The retailers create the feeding frenzy for their own profits. We were able to get buy for the last 30+ years of my life without bullshit 4:00 AM sales. Maybe being hit with a $15M lawsuit settlement will convince them that this shit has to stop. | ||
| Leftcoastal |
Driving home from a job, listening to the local news on the radio this afternoon, there were 2 people killed in a 'Toys-R-Us' store in Palm Desert. Apparently "2 young Hispanic women" were arguing about something, loudly with lots of profanity, according to witnesses, and one of the men that was accompanying one of them pulled a gun. Another "male Hispanic" pulled his out and then "shots rang out" and now both are dead. Story is still developing. Film at 11. "Yo - Vato! dat Wii is MINE, Holmes~" Black Friday, indeed! | ||
| 2008xb12scg |
if they opened later it would have just happened at 8 instead of 4. I went out 1 time on "black friday" never again. Perfect day to go riding. Eveybody else is shopping. | ||
| Eboos |
"if they opened later it would have just happened at 8 instead of 4" Thank you. I wanted to say that earlier, but I just figured to drop it. I don't know why this kind of thing bothers me this much. | ||
| Tank_bueller |
Lead time for Christmas shopping for me is ten days For me, it's Christmas Eve. You would be surprised how few people are out. "Yo - Vato! dat Wii is MINE, Holmes~" I have no problem avoiding this also, unless the UPS or FedEx dude pulls a gun.(It'd be a real bad day for that dude, and I'd have to dump a huge truck full of crap.) | ||
| Etennuly |
Greed. Motivating shoppers since the late sixties when it was first found that people would shop on Sundays. I'm all for the sales being run the way they are, I'd just change one thing......the first six shoppers through the door will be shot dead. Let the sale begin. | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
if they opened later it would have just happened at 8 instead of 4 Possibly, but it's the feeding frenzy intentionally created by the retail companies than pisses me off. They advertise 10 highly sought after items of which they have two of each with the sale beginning at 5:00 AM knowing that people will act like crazed lunatics to get it and then be pissed off when they can't get it. Their hope is that they will buy the regularly priced item next to the sale item. It's a game that is totally ridiculous. | ||
| Court |
I had my own Wal-Mart story today . . . anybody else having trouble buying ammo? | ||
| Paint_shaker |
As the years have gone by, I have really become disenchanted with the commercialization of Christmas. Maybe it's time America celebrates Christmas for what it is!! Think you can fix that Prez-Elect Obama?? | ||
| Skinstains |
I hate walmart more than most but not because of today's TRAMPeling. I would love to see them go out of business. Today's TRAMPeling (IMO) is not their fault however. Sooner or later we as humans must be held accountable for our actions. More and more litagation isn't the answer. That's the reason you can't get within 50 feet of the new racetrack in jersey. A little less safety and a little more freedom please. | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
Sooner or later we as humans must be held accountable for our actions. Great. What's your plan for making that happen? |
